For years, visitors to 21 N. Park St., home to many FP&M offices, may have noticed the distinctive Bucky Badger clock above the entrance. But with the beloved UW–Madison mascot’s arms stuck in place, it couldn’t show the time. Now, thanks to a dedicated building manager and the skilled work of Physical Plant trades, this hidden campus treasure is ticking once again!
The university had two of these Bucky clocks made during the 1950s, and they have been longtime campus landmarks. One Bucky clock was originally located at an old bank building at 905 University Ave. When that building was demolished, the clock was saved and moved to its current home at 21 N. Park St.
Matthew Hanson, who served as the building manager for 21 N. Park St. for about four and a half years, often asked why the clock wasn’t working, only to hear it had been that way for a long time. Walking by the clock several times a day, his desire to see the clock working again only grew over time. For Matthew, it wasn’t just about helping students, staff and visitors tell the time as they passed by; it was about honoring a piece of campus history.
“I kept telling people, we’ve got to get the Bucky clock working again,” Matthew said. “People are going to come up here and get their picture taken with it.”
So Matthew decided to take the initiative and partnered with Physical Plant to get Bucky moving again:
- A new frame was made with LED lights and a new glass covering.
- A new clock mechanism was installed to automatically adjust for daylight saving time.
- A light sensor was added that automatically detects darkness and adjusts the lighting.
In just five months, the Bucky clock wasn’t only fixed, it was enhanced. “It’s this old-looking clock with modern internals,” Matthew said.
Thomas Weber, an electrician with the electric shop, was one of several Physical Plant workers who helped restore the clock. With help from the sheet metal shop, paint shop, and electric shop, this team was able to modernize the clock’s system. The workers who contributed to this repair were Donald Bailey, Marc Hagen, Mohammed El Hallaoui, Patrick Humphrey, John Kopish, Kevin Langer, Montana Lefebrve, David Mathews, Timothy Mcneill, Mohammed Outayeb, Thomas Weber, Mikhail Saranov, David Skuban, and Steven Walls.
By bouncing ideas off each other, they were able to replace the motor and brain box, repaint Bucky, and make additional adjustments.
“It’s something you can look at and say yeah, I did that,” Thomas said of his experience restoring the clock, “I always thought I wanted to fix it sometime before I retire, and I got a chance to do that.”
Next time you walk down N. Park Street, look up and catch Bucky in action — his hands moving, pointing and keeping time once again, a restored campus treasure for everyone to enjoy!
By: Ashley Barrera
Ashley is a strategic communications student intern with FP&M Marketing & Communications. She is a senior at UW-Madison majoring in Journalism on the Strategic Communications track with a certificate in Digital Studies. Ashley has been working at FP&M since March of 2025.