Latino South Division High School Married Couple Took University Courses Before They Actually Graduated From High School And Enrolled At The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

In history: Latino South Division High School married couple took University courses before they actually graduated from high school and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

November 29, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - It's 1972, H. Nelson Goodson, originally from from Laredo, Texas and Cris González Goodson, from Kenosha, Wisconsin at the South Division High School Graduation celebration at the Marc Plaza Hotel, later renamed the Hilton Hotel in Milwaukee.

Goodson and González were the only known married couple attending classes at South Division High School in 1972. Both Goodson and González were two of the 50 special students taking University courses at the Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute, 2nd Floor located at the 500 block of W. National Avenue before graduating from high school with the condition to also enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for credited University courses when they graduated from high school. 

On August 27, 1970, members of the Latino community including Goodson's mother, Marla O. Anderson took over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor's Office in protest against the discriminatory practice that kept Latinos/as from enrolling at UWM. In 1970, less than 15 Latino students were enrolled at UWM compared to 25,000 Anglo students. Most of the Latino students enrolled at UWM were from foreign countries. The 1970 protest led to the creation of the Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute (SSOI) with a mission to recruit, retain, advise and help Latino students graduate from the University. The SSOI in 1996 was renamed the Roberto Hernández Center.

Anderson, the only woman along with four men, Jesus Salas, Dante Navarro, Gregorio "Goyo" Rivera and José Luis Huerta-Sánchez were arrested at the Chancellor's Office on August 27, 1970 for refusing to leave the office at closing time, according to UWM Police records.

Wisconsin became the only State in the U.S. that allowed the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to recruit Latinos/as high school students to take University courses before they graduated from high school with the promise that they would enroll at the University when they graduated from high school.

Entertainment: The Little Tina band (Tejano style) from Delevan, WI played at the Latino South Division High School Graduation celebration in 1972.

Video: RHC 40th Anniversary, includes actual news footage of the August 27, 1970 Takeover of the Chancellor's Office at Chapman Hall: https://youtu.be/FzOpOxI_GKw

Link to The HOLA Archives at UWM Library and Wisconsin Humanities in collaboration with the RHC, a podcast series that provides multiple interviews of stories of Milwaukee Latino/as who fought to make Milwaukee a more welcoming community, especially at the UW-Milwaukee from the 1970's to later years. https://uwm.edu/libraries/digital-humanities-lab/hola-podcast/

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

HNNUSA: Donations accepted/se aceptan donaciones: https://tinyurl.com/3y8ej92t

The Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute/Roberto Hernández Center story written by H. Nelson Goodson, which was first published on July 13, 2001 by El Conquistador Newspaper and later revised. Click on images to enlarge. https://tinyurl.com/mrykfzd2