Gerald “Jerry” Stich
Time period/Baraboo: 1969 - present
Submitted by: Kathy Houzner and Susan Lappin
Professor Emeritus Gerald L. Stich arrived in Baraboo in 1969 to heat the Music Department at the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County Campus. Jerry directed both the Campus/Community Band and the Campus/Community Civic Choir. He went on to serve as chair of the music department for the entire 13-campus UW Colleges system.
A longtime music professor, Jerry is best known for developing the popular Concerts on the Square series. They are held each summer on Thursday nights downtown on the square and offered free of charge. In 2017 he celebrated 43 years of producing these concerts. He also founded the Campus Singers, a troupe that toured the state in an Army surplus bus.
Jerry and his wife Carol have played leading roles in many performing groups. These include the Baraboo Theatre Guild, Carol’s singing group the Cheddar Chicks and Jerry’s Big Band, Brass Band and Circus Band. These groups have been fixtures at local parades and festivals.
Jerry is a leader in the religious community as well. He was choir director at Emmanuel Methodist Church for over 20 years, and most recently has been the choir director at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for 20 years. He has directed Handel’s “Messiah” and other significant choral works with full orchestra and chorus at the Al. Ringling Theatre and area churches.
Everyone who knows Jerry agrees – Baraboo would not be what it is today without his many talents!