[4] The school was founded in 1891 and named in honor of its founder, lumber magnate James Huff Stout.

UW–Stout provides focused programs "related to professional careers in industry, technology, home economics, applied art, and the helping professions.

Students learned drafting, mechanics, woodworking, metal working, in addition to science, mathematics, language, literature, and history.

After the American Civil War, leaders of industry and politics were turning to public education to augment existing apprenticeship programs by incorporating Manual Training philosophy into their curricula.

[8] Stout was influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, the philosophies of which influenced his own philosophy of education, specifically that making things by hand, through skill and creativity, would provide more thoughtful and creative consumer goods because of the personal satisfaction of the craftsperson.

Rather, it embraced creativity and intellectual development as necessary components of the educational model, leading the school to teach classes in drawing, jewelry making, embroidery, and photography.

[17] In 2013, officials from MIT helped open a fab lab on the UW–Stout campus, the only university in Wisconsin with such a facility.

Business and industry entities located in the STBP include facilities owned by 3M, Andersen Corporation, and ConAgra Foods.

Men's teams include: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer and track and field.

Women's teams include: basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball.