Middleton Building (formerly Middleton Medical Library)

The next stop is the Middleton Building, named after Doctor William Shainline Middleton, a long-serving member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Dr. Middleton arrived in Madison in 1912 and served as a member of the faculty for 63 years, with several breaks for federal service.

Dr. Middleton served as a general medical officer from 1917 to 1919 with the United States Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I. After the war, he remained in the Army Reserve and in World War II, he was called to active duty as the Chief Consultant for Medicine in the European Theater of Operations. In this role, he helped build the systems for the care of wounded and sick American soldiers.

After World War II, Dr. Middleton returned to the university. During the Korean War, he served as a Special Advisor to the Surgeon General.  In 1955, President Eisenhower appointed Dr. Middleton as the Chief Medical Director of the Veterans Administration, where he served for eight years.

After his service with the VA, Dr. Middleton returned to the University of Wisconsin Medical School and served as the dean until 1974. This building, when originally built, housed the Middleton Medical Library. In 1967, the regents set aside a long standing tradition of not naming buildings after living people to name the library. The VA hospital in Madison is also named after Dr. Middleton.

Dr. William S. Middleton, VA Researchers Who Served. February 8th 2022. Accessed May 17th 2022. https://www.research.va.gov/researchers_whoserved/william_middleton.cfm.