Funny professor, nice person. If you go to every lecture, go to every discussion session, and do all the readings, you will get an A. Easy grader and lecture/reading heavy. Attendance isn't taken, though.Rate My Professors ↗
Historical instructor
Francis Russo
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Professor Russo is one of the best professors at UW–Madison. He is extremely knowledgeable, and his lectures are engaging and well-organized. While the course includes readings, the discussions and lecture slides are the most helpful. Staying on top of the material leads to success. The TAs are also supportive and knowledgeable.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
One of the best lecturers I have had here thus far. Makes an effort to make the lectures entertaining and funny at times. Really knowledgeable on all the content. Really kind person who wants all students in the class to succeed. Really can't say enough good things, very refreshing to have a good professor for once. Would take again in a heartbeat.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
I always looked forward to history class because of Russo's lectures; he is hilarious and obviously very well-versed and passionate about history. Quizzes and tests are pretty easy as well, but the essay prompts, however, are almost too simple and general. It would be a great first college history class if you haven't taken higher-level history.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Professor Russo really cares about American history and that is seen through his lectures. His exams are fairly easy and he is very accessible should you need help in the class. He is a very kind man and loves what he does.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with Francis Russo
No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.
No courses match this selection. Try the full catalog or another term.
Recorded teaching history
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
{
"instructor_uid": "instructor_1edf998cbdba94c2bc586dc9",
"source": "legacy",
"source_instructor_id": null,
"identity_basis": "name_only",
"identity_status": "unresolved",
"name": "Francis Russo",
"email": "FARUSSO@WISC.EDU",
"first_observed_at": "2025-08-21 07:05:14.730696+00:00",
"last_observed_at": "2025-11-16 05:32:31.273726+00:00",
"ratings": {
"review_count": 5,
"quality": 5,
"difficulty": 1.4,
"quality_count": 5,
"difficulty_count": 5,
"profile_id": "rmp:3140023",
"source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3140023",
"match_basis": "exact_name",
"observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:39:08.694324+00:00",
"courses": {},
"bayesian_quality": 3.9277486268372765,
"prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
"prior_weight": 20
},
"current": false,
"courses": [],
"revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
"instructor_url": "/instructors/FRANCIS_RUSSO--instructor_1edf998cbdba94c2bc586dc9"
}