News - pcgazette.com

News

Wievel was first to join Schmeeckle's program

By GEORGE ROGERS
of the Gazette
Bernard Wievel wasn't present at the creation, but he came along soon after.

Fred Schmeeckle began the natural resources program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UW-SP). Today it's a flagship program at UW-SP, but in the beginning it was a one-man show. Wievel was the first faculty member to join Schmeeckle, with Walter Sylvester - "a top-notch guy" in Wievel's estimation - coming along shortly afterward. That was in 1947.

Schmeeckle died in 1967 and Sylvester in 1957, but Wievel is still here. He and his wife Jessie live at 1941 W. River Drive, on the banks of the Wisconsin River.

He's seen a lot of progress in protecting the environment, like in that river behind his house. When he and Jessie moved there in 1955 the fish were inedible. Now people eat them, and fishing from his back yard you can catch smallmouth bass, catfish, walleyes and maybe a muskie.

"I think generally people are much more conscious of conservation and the need to manage our resources," he said. "But we still have major, major problems in Wisconsin and throughout the country."

The increasing population for one, and urban sprawl, contamination of water, destruction of forests and the increasing public demand for material things. Habitats are still being destroyed, he said, and too many people still have no knowledge of resource problems.

But he helped spread environmental knowledge during a 30-year career at UW-SP.

Wievel is known to many as "Friday," a nickname he picked up in Platteville, his home town. His father was a miner and would be gone for weeks, but Wievel had an uncle he followed around a lot. The uncle was a bartender at a local saloon, and "The barflies entertained me," Wievel said. The uncle called him "my little man Friday," after Robinson Crusoe's sidekick, and the name stuck.

UW-Platteville was then Platteville State Teachers College. Wievel went there and graduated in industrial arts in 1934, exactly the wrong time, since it was the depths of the Depression and there were no teaching jobs. The next year he attended the Wisconsin School of Mines, which later was folded into UW-Platteville. Then in 1938, after a few years of odd jobs in Platteville, he landed a teaching position in Cudahy.

World War II came along and in 1941 Wievel, who had been in the National Guard in Platteville, was commissioned a second lieutenant. His military career was cut short by an old football back injury, so he returned to college, picking up a master's degree and then a doctorate at Iowa State. He'd always had an interest in conservation, and he made that the emphasis of his doctoral studies. That was in 1947, just in time to join Schmeeckle in Stevens Point at an annual salary of $3,900. The then-teachers college had about 700 students and 30 faculty members, a cozy arrangement where everyone knew everybody else.

The focus then was on preparing teachers to teach conservation in the public schools. Wievel and Sylvester taught conservation half-time and biology the other half. The program also offered extension courses, and classes were taught at Trees for Tomorrow near Eagle River. The budget was tight, facilities were meager and equipment was mostly hand-me-downs.

Schmeeckle, he said, was "just an outstanding guy" and they hit it off personally because they both loved to hunt and fish. "His strongest forte," said Wievel, "was his ability to sell what was in the teachers college."

As time went on, the program began to offer things to students who weren't after a teaching degree, and it eventually became the College of Natural Resources, training undergraduate and graduate students in such fields as wildlife, fisheries, soil science, forestry and more.

Wievel, who describes himself as a generalist, taught in most of these areas at one time or another. "I used to say I could teach one good course in everything," he said. "It was an enjoyable career."

Dan Trainer, who was dean of the College of Natural Resources in the closing years of Wievel's time at the university, had high praise for his old colleague. "Friday made it happen," he said.

Trainer passed on an anecdote from the time when Wievel was the school's tennis coach. As related to Trainer by a member of the team, Wievel said tennis had three rules: 1. Keep your eye on the ball. 2. Keep your eye on the damn ball. 3. Keep your eye on the G-- damn ball.

The Wievels have three sons in Stevens Point and a daughter in Arizona. Friday retains his interest in outdoor activities, still hunting turkeys and doing a little fly fishing.



	Wievel was first to join Schmeeckle's program By GEORGE ROGERS of the Gazette Bernard Wievel wasn't present at the creation, but he came along soon after. Fred Schmeeckle began the natural resources program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UW-SP). Today it's a flagship program at UW-SP, but in the beginning it was a one-man show. Wievel was the first faculty member to join Schmeeckle, with Walter Sylvester - "a top-notch guy" in Wievel's estimation - coming along shortly afterward. That was in 1947. Schmeeckle died in 1967 and Sylvester in 1957, but Wievel is still here. He and his wife Jessie live at 1941 W. River Drive, on the banks of the Wisconsin River. He's seen a lot of progress in protecting the environment, like in that river behind his house. When he and Jessie moved there in 1955 the fish were inedible. Now people eat them, and fishing from his back yard you can catch smallmouth bass, catfish, walleyes and maybe a muskie. "I think generally people are much more conscious of conservation and the need to manage our resources," he said. "But we still have major, major problems in Wisconsin and throughout the country." The increasing population for one, and urban sprawl, contamination of water, destruction of forests and the increasing public demand for material things. Habitats are still being destroyed, he said, and too many people still have no knowledge of resource problems. But he helped spread environmental knowledge during a 30-year career at UW-SP. Wievel is known to many as "Friday," a nickname he picked up in Platteville, his home town. His father was a miner and would be gone for weeks, but Wievel had an uncle he followed around a lot. The uncle was a bartender at a local saloon, and "The barflies entertained me," Wievel said. The uncle called him "my little man Friday," after Robinson Crusoe's sidekick, and the name stuck. UW-Platteville was then Platteville State Teachers College. Wievel went there and graduated in industrial arts in 1934, exactly the wrong time, since it was the depths of the Depression and there were no teaching jobs. The next year he attended the Wisconsin School of Mines, which later was folded into UW-Platteville. Then in 1938, after a few years of odd jobs in Platteville, he landed a teaching position in Cudahy. World War II came along and in 1941 Wievel, who had been in the National Guard in Platteville, was commissioned a second lieutenant. His military career was cut short by an old football back injury, so he returned to college, picking up a master's degree and then a doctorate at Iowa State. He'd always had an interest in conservation, and he made that the emphasis of his doctoral studies. That was in 1947, just in time to join Schmeeckle in Stevens Point at an annual salary of $3,900. The then-teachers college had about 700 students and 30 faculty members, a cozy arrangement where everyone knew everybody else. The focus then was on preparing teachers to teach conservation in the public schools. Wievel and Sylvester taught conservation half-time and biology the other half. The program also offered extension courses, and classes were taught at Trees for Tomorrow near Eagle River. The budget was tight, facilities were meager and equipment was mostly hand-me-downs. Schmeeckle, he said, was "just an outstanding guy" and they hit it off personally because they both loved to hunt and fish. "His strongest forte," said Wievel, "was his ability to sell what was in the teachers college." As time went on, the program began to offer things to students who weren't after a teaching degree, and it eventually became the College of Natural Resources, training undergraduate and graduate students in such fields as wildlife, fisheries, soil science, forestry and more. Wievel, who describes himself as a generalist, taught in most of these areas at one time or another. "I used to say I could teach one good course in everything," he said. "It was an enjoyable career." Dan Trainer, who was dean of the College of Natural Resources in the closing years of Wievel's time at the university, had high praise for his old colleague. "Friday made it happen," he said. Trainer passed on an anecdote from the time when Wievel was the school's tennis coach. As related to Trainer by a member of the team, Wievel said tennis had three rules: 1. Keep your eye on the ball. 2. Keep your eye on the damn ball. 3. Keep your eye on the G-- damn ball. The Wievels have three sons in Stevens Point and a daughter in Arizona. Friday retains his interest in outdoor activities, still hunting turkeys and doing a little fly fishing.