LACROSSE, Wis. – For almost 40 years Billy Hyde and Yvonne Hyde went about their work quietly at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. He taught English. She was a library cataloguer. He died in 2015, she in April. Theirs was a simple life, which made it all the more surprising when it was learned that they had bequeathed $2.2 million to the university. It was the largest gift in UW-L history. Joe Cow, chancellor, called the gift a reminder that UW-L is a family. The gift will be divided between the English Department and the library.
Billy Hyde. English professor.
Yvonne Hyde. Library cataloguer.
Verbatim
Gow: “Sometimes, we know a gift is coming, and we have people working on it and shaping it. Other times, there may be people who give you a gift, but you don’t really know it’s coming.”