<P> For more than a century , the university system has been guided by the Wisconsin Idea , a tradition first enunciated by University of Wisconsin President Charles Van Hise in 1904 . Van Hise declared that he would `` never be content until the beneficent influence of the university reaches every family in the state '' . Today that belief permeates the UW System 's work , fostering close working relationships within the state , throughout the country , and around the world . </P>
the person who originated the wisconsin idea of efficient government was
University of Wisconsin President Charles Van Hise