The Student's Chancellor
1926 - 2008

Known as the “Students’ Chancellor,” Lee Sherman Dreyfus led the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for nearly eleven years before being elected Governor.

 

Wearing his signature red vest and speaking from the heart, he inspired the student body and stimulated amazing campus growth.

 

You may also leave a memorial gift to the Lee Sherman Dreyfus Speaker’s Series Endowment, a fund established by Lee & Joyce Dreyfus to expose students to outstanding and inspiring speakers.

The Honorable Lee Sherman Dreyfus began developing his oratory skills while a young child actor on a weekly radio drama broadcast on WISN Milwaukee.

 

After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and completing his graduate studies, Dreyfus continued to communicate with, and inspire, many people while teaching and managing student radio and television stations at Wayne State University and the University of Wisconsin.

 

By the time he became Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), Dreyfus had mastered the art of public speaking. His skills as an orator and educator combined with the signature red vest he wore to identify himself to students as he walked the campus during the challenging Vietnam era earned him the designation of the students’ Chancellor.

 

However, Drefyus’ commitment to students went far beyond his red vest. He interacted directly and regularly with students; empowering them by championing the development of a united student government association. Further, he was the first Chancellor in the UW-System to grant students the authority to determine and disseminate their activity fees.

 

Dreyfus took the Wisconsin Idea to heart and worked to make education accessible to all—personally recruiting students from every corner of the state and significantly expanding the minority population on campus. With a growing student population, Dreyfus used his charisma and charm to double the UWSP Foundation Endowment to support important student scholarships and campus needs. He also made his mark on the footprint of the campus, preserving Old Main, securing the lands that are now the Schmeekle Reserve and the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station, and spearheading the creation of the Schneider Mosaic on the wall of the College of Natural Resources building.

 

His impact as Chancellor was felt far beyond the boundaries of the campus as Dreyfus worked side-by-side with business leaders to develop initiatives such as the Paper Sciences Program to meet industry needs. His passion for communication was also apparent as he established the Division of Communication where he taught a seminar each semester. In fact, Dreyfus credits the students in one of these courses with influencing his decision to run for Governor in 1978.

 

As Dreyfus campaigned for Governor, it was his ability to communicate that drove his underestimated, underfunded and unorthodox team to victory. He dismissed the traditional political strategies of allying with interest groups and pursuing large contributions. Instead he hopped onto his transformed school bus with the rag-tag band, taking his message to every corner of Wisconsin to let the people decide.

 

After a long and rigorous campaign it was no surprise to his family, friends and students that Lee Sherman Dreyfus was elected as the 40th Governor of the State of Wisconsin. After leaving politics in 1983, Dreyfus continued to communicate his message on the professional speaker circuit and worked with the UW-System as a member of the Board of Regents.