Retired professor honors family through bench donation
Original marriage certificate of Professor Moll and his wife.
By Lauren Ayala
A great love story is hard to come by. In today’s fast-paced and technologically-savvy society, we often forget about romance. We use social media to stay in touch with loved ones, text to show affection, and use online dating profiles to find our “match made in heaven.” As technology advances, each generation progressively loses sight of what it means to be “romanced” and how true love is a lifelong commitment. Just a few minutes into my interview with Professor Dick Moll, I knew I was about to hear a story that would stay with me for years to come.
Stepping foot into his home, I could tell that it held a rich history. My eyes darted from grand, vibrant paintings to tribal looking art to pictures of extended family members displayed proudly across the walls. One picture in particular stood out against the rest. It was a candid photo of a beautiful woman, her arms gesturing mid-dance above her head, eyes gleaming. The smile on her face radiated across the wall and had such a captivating presence that I had to linger a few seconds before making my way across the room.
I originally went to interview Professor Moll, a retired UW-Madison engineering professor, to hear the story behind his generous bench donation to the Wisconsin Union. I walked away with not only a story of how the bench came to be, but an even greater story of an over fifty-year marriage behind it.
It was a grand love affair from the start. After meeting his wife at a mere seventeen years of age, Professor Moll knew she was “The one.” The couple ran off and secretly married while still in high school and a few years later had a wedding with family and friends. The original marriage certificate framed with photos of two skinny-legged teenagers with giddy smiles hangs in their recreation room as proof of their secret elopement.
Bench Inscription:
In honor of those creative minds who have made and continue to make the Union Terrace the best place to hangout in Madison. With our deepest appreciation, Prof Dick and Pat Moll and Family
Throughout their lifetime together, Professor Moll and his wife had a long, memorable relationship with UW-Madison. Not only did he conduct research and teach for over thirty-five years, but all five of his children graduated from the university. As the children grew up and moved away for their careers, the family meeting place became the Union Terrace.
For Professor Moll, the Union holds a plethora of family memories and special moments with his wife, who sadly passed away six years ago. As avid travelers, they often visited the Travel Adventure Series at the Union before planning their next excursion. Here, they watched a documentary film on a different country each time and sampled traditional food. They visited more than sixty countries together. The two of them also regularly enjoyed shows, concerts and plays at the Union Theater and attended several weddings at Wisconsin’s beloved hangout.
“We always had such a wonderful time at the Terrace as a family. It is truly a beautiful place to be,” he said.
The idea to purchase a bench on the Terrace was not an epiphany, but a well-discussed plan with his children. He has always taken joy in making donations to the university. After the passing of his wife, Professor Moll wanted nothing more than to carry out the bench plans in honor of his family and the memories they had created at the Union. The search for the perfect bench began.
Dick Moll at his home
Professor Moll knew he wanted the bench to face Lake Mendota so that he could always enjoy the splendid view of the deep blue water. Unable to find the ideal location, he came across a forlorn looking bench deemed the “mystery bench.” Apparently this bench had not been claimed for years. Facing the lake and blank as a sheet of paper, he knew it was his.
The hard part came when deciding on the inscription, a task he spent many months contemplating. Combined with input from his children, Professor Moll created a lighthearted but equally meaningful message for the bench.
“I didn’t want it to be in memory of my wife, but in memory of our family. There are many things that are put in memory of people, but there are not many things that speak about the Union. Now it’s all of our bench – grand kids, great grand kids – it’s a surreal experience,” said Professor Moll. Above all, the bench is a way for the Moll Family to say thank you to the university for all the joy it has given them throughout the years.
“This was a nice way to combine the Union’s monetary needs and my desire to do something personal and meaningful to me. This is a way to say thank you.”
This symbolic bench sits on the Union Terrace near the band stage. You may have already blindly missed this stone structure or idly thought about how pretty it was in passing. If this is the case, you should do yourself a favor and go take a second look. Deep within the groves of that very stone lies a story of family, cherished memories, and an everlasting love.
