Editing University of Wisconsin System (section)

=== Former University of Wisconsin ===
The University of Wisconsin was created by the state constitution in 1848, and held its first classes in Madison in 1849.

In 1956, pressed by the growing demand for a large public university that offered graduate programs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city, Wisconsin lawmakers merged [[Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee]] (WSCM) and the [[University of Wisconsin–Extension]]'s Milwaukee division as the [[University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee]]. The new campus comprised the WSCM campus near the lakefront and the UW extension in downtown Milwaukee.

Starting in the 1940s, freshman-sophomore centers were opened across the state. In 1968, the [[Green Bay, Wisconsin|Green Bay]] center was upgraded to a full-fledged four-year institution as the [[University of Wisconsin–Green Bay]], while the [[Kenosha, Wisconsin|Kenosha]] and [[Racine, Wisconsin|Racine]] centers were merged as the [[University of Wisconsin–Parkside]]. By 1971, the University of Wisconsin system had campuses at Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Kenosha/[[Somers, Wisconsin|Somers]], together with 10 freshman-sophomore centers and the statewide [[University of Wisconsin–Extension]].<ref name="History">[http://www.wisconsin.edu/about/history.htm History and Organization of the University of Wisconsin System] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070202182105/http://www.wisconsin.edu/about/history.htm |date=2007-02-02 }}. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.</ref> The total enrollment of the University of Wisconsin system at that time was 69,554. The [[Governing boards of colleges and universities in the United States|Board of Regents]] of the University of Wisconsin system comprise ten members, nine of whom were appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate for nine-year terms. The tenth was the [[Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin|State Superintendent of Public Instruction]], who served ''[[ex officio]]'' on both the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin State University boards.