It has been nearly three decades since I spent a morning in the Downtown Madison offices of The Progressive magazine, interviewing its feisty editor, Erwin Knoll, about the magazine's controversial "H-bomb Secret" story and asking a more fundamental question.

That question, in fact, was used as the headline when my piece ran in Milwaukee Magazine: "Can The Progressive Survive?"

Monday morning I was back in the offices of The Progressive, which answers that earlier question. The Progressive is still around, and still raising hell with its commentary and investigations championing human rights and individual liberties.

There is much serious work to do, saving the world from corporate venality and American empire-building, but on Monday, The Progressive's current editor, Matt Rothschild, was talking about -- of all things -- a party.

"People don't celebrate enough," Rothschild was saying. "Especially on the left. We want to have fun."

Give Rothschild this: He has an excellent excuse for a party. Next year, The Progressive turns 100, and for the past several months, Rothschild and the magazine's staff have been planning a centennial bash that will include a special issue of the magazine, a book comprised of the best stories to appear in The Progressive's first 100 years, seminars, speeches, and, yes, a party.

And get this. Robert Redford has signed on as honorary chairman of the celebration.

"He's planning on being here," Rothschild said of the Hollywood icon and environmentalist, unless some movie business emergency should arise to keep him away.

Redford's participation -- the events are slated for next May 1-2 -- speaks to The Progressive's standing as a citadel of the American left. The list of contributing writers speaks to it as well, and included in the new book, to be published in April, are pieces by Carl Sandburg, John F. Kennedy, James Baldwin, William O. Douglas, Jane Addams, Murray Kempton, Upton Sinclair, David Halberstam and Molly Ivins.

"It is just amazing the people who pop up," Rothschild said, adding that the current staff felt "astonished and humbled" on learning the extent of the legacy they are carrying on.

Rothschild personally looked at every issue of The Progressive, which began on Jan. 9, 1909, as La Follette's Weekly, named for its founder, Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette, then representing Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate. La Follette said he wanted to present an alternative to what he called "the reactionary press."

It became The Progressive in 1929, after La Follette's sons worked out an agreement with Capital Times founder William T. Evjue to publish the magazine. Evjue was bought out by the La Follettes in 1940, and Morris Rubin was installed as editor.

On Oct. 6, 1947, Rubin wrote an article headlined, "The End of the Progressive." Money woes, a constant concern, had finally become overwhelming. But then a remarkable thing happened. The magazine's readers refused to let it die. Contributions poured in and monthly publication resumed in 1948.

Memorable issues in the years since include a 96-page special in April 1954 devoted entirely to U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The Progressive took McCarthy personally; the issue exposing the excesses of the senator from Wisconsin had a special printing of 200,000 and won several awards.

The cover story of the November 1979 issue created a furor before it was even printed, with the cover billing: "The H-bomb Secret: How we got it -- why we're telling it."

A freelance journalist named Howard Morland, deeply committed to nuclear disarmament, had made a disturbing discovery while poking around in unclassified books, journals and government reports. He had learned how to make a hydrogen bomb.

When The Progressive sought experts to verify Morland's facts, one of them contacted the government, which sued to stop publication of the article. They succeeded for seven months. By the time of publication the magazine's profile was higher than ever, and so was its debt, due to legal bills. It was a short time later that I interviewed editor Erwin Knoll for his take on whether The Progressive could survive.

The colorful Knoll, who had replaced Rubin as editor, died in 1994. Knoll was a tough act to follow but Rothschild, who has been affiliated with the Progressive for 25 years, has succeeded. Readership is strong, with circulation above 50,000. The 100th anniversary is in good hands.

When I asked Knoll if his magazine could survive, he replied: "That's a good question. But what interests us even more is the question: Can The Progressive change the world? "

That would certainly be something to celebrate. In the meantime, turning 100 isn't bad.

Contact Doug Moe at 608-252-6446 or dmoe@madison.com.