Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- University of Wisconsin-Platteville Technology Education Association recently renovated the wood sample boxes displayed on the ground floor of Russell Hall.

In 1988, Jim Schilleman, class of 1954, donated more than 45 boxes that displayed the woods used in various manufacturing processes. He also included information about the trees these woods came from and information about the properties of the woods. These displays were originally hung by Professor Duane Jackman's students.

The boxes were originally constructed as teaching aids, used by Schilleman when he worked as an industrial arts teacher in Elm Grove. The construction of these boxes was completed over the course of nine months, with each box taking about four to five hours to piece together. Many of the samples were provided by one of Schilleman's friends who worked for a lumber company and had contacts overseas.

The boxes were later donated to honor Professor Howard Olson, whom Schilleman thought very highly of. Olson taught woodworking at UWP and was instrumental in promoting school safety throughout the state of Wisconsin. A ceremony was held to dedicate the displays Dec. 9, 1988, which honored the late Professor Olson. Olson's wife and two sons were present as well as friends and extended family. A plaque was also hung in his honor.

During Schilleman's tenure at UWP, he remembered the kindness shown to him by Professor Olson. Olson helped Schilleman get a job as a custodian, working evenings cleaning the woodshop and delegating special projects to him. Olson even found work for Schilleman at his residence. Schilleman described Olson as "a good instructor, very practical, fair, always having a friendly word, and overall concerned with the well-being of his students."

Industrial Studies Department Chair, Dick Klawiter, remembered "Ole" as a dedicated woodworker and as "a man who knew everything there was to know about wood." Olson was also personable and inspired his students.

After many years of being displayed, the wood sample displays, located outside the UWP wood shop, had fallen into despair. The boxes were falling apart, and many of the contents had come unglued from their backing. The displays were taken down during the renovation of Russell Hall in 1999, and stored in the wood shop.

During the summer of 2003, two students, Greg Smith and Adam Burdick, under the supervision of Professor Frank Steck, began renovating the wood sample boxes. They began constructing new boxes made of pine, from surplus wood left over from the previous semester. The original displays were also constructed from pine. By the end of the summer the majority of the assembly was complete.

During the fall of 2003 and spring of 2004, Smith, Josh Ericson and several other members worked staining, varnishing and putting the contents in the boxes. The newly rejuvenated boxes contain information including, scientific name, grain type, wood texture, wood finishing properties, warp age, weight, uses and other interesting data. The displays also house samples of finished woods, nuts, bark and leaves. In the fall of 2004, Smith and Nick Baldwin worked on putting up the boxes with the help of several other students.

On Nov. 23 the last set of boxes was completed and hung outside the woods lab where they had originally resided. Unfortunately the original plaque dedicating the displays to Olson was lost. Dean Duane Ford and the Industrial Studies Department are working with Schilleman to recreate a plaque suitable for the displays.

Contact: Dick Klawiter, Chair of the Department of Industrial Studies, (608) 342-1246, klawiter@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Dan Humer, Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, humerd@uwplatt.edu