Nebraska Hall of Fame

Inducted 1961

George Norris

Congressman, Senator, Father of the Unicameral
George Norris (1861 – 1944) has an impressive legacy in both Nebraska and nationwide. Although he was born in Ohio, he lived in Beaver City, Beatrice, and McCook after moving to Nebraska.

He represented Nebraska in the US House of Representatives from 1903-1913 and in the US Senate from 1913-1943. His accomplishments from his time in Washington DC include initiation of reform of House rules, anti-injunction law for labor, the Tennessee Valley Authority, rural electrification, and the 20th amendment to the US Constitution.

He was the first person ever inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1961.

Other Resources
Pulizter Prize Awarded for 1930 Editorial on George Norris

A Reflective View by George W. Norris

(A 1943 letter from Norris detailing his decisions and defeat in 1942.)

Senator George Norris State Historical Site

“Gentle River Goes Mad”

(An article about the 1935 Republic River Flood, including information about Norris’s efforts to assist those impacted.)

Norris’s Snarky Letter to an Auto Dealer

“Unicameral Gavel”

Inducted 1962

Willa Cather

“The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman”
– O Pioneers!

A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author
Willa Cather (1873 – 1947) lived in Red Cloud, Nebraska as a child and attended school there with an interest in science.

From 1891 to 1895, she attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she began pursuing literature. Following her graduation, she worked a variety of editorial and teaching positions before her career as an author.

Cather was recognized for her novels of frontier life. Her most notable works are My Ántonia, O Pioneers!, and One of Ours, which earned Cather her Pulitzer.

She was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1962.

Other Resources:
Willa Cather – manuscript finding aid

The National Willa Cather Center

“Perception vs Reality: Willa Cather”

Willa Cather – “Student Days”

(A reporter’s recollection of young Cather.)

Historical Marker: “Willa Cather Memorial Prairie”

“A Matter of Appearances”

(A magazine excerpt about an exhibit of Cather’s textiles and clothing.)

-Cather’s Theater Experiences-

(She was noted for playing male roles.)

Beauty & The Beast – 1

Beauty & The Beast – 2

The Fatal Pin

Inducted 1963-64

John J. Pershing

Military Commander & Professor
During his lifetime, John J. Pershing (1860 – 1948) was the only American to be promoted to the rank of General of the Armies, the highest rank possible in the United States Army. The most famous aspect of his military career was his time as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front in World War I from 1917-1918.

Pershing was also the Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1891 to 1895, where he created the Pershing Rifles.

He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1963-64.

Other Resources:
John J. Pershing – manuscript finding aid

Historical Marker: “Pershing’s Rifles”
-Pershing’s Run for Presidency (1920)-

“Pershing for President” – 1

“Pershing for President” – 2

Inducted 1965-66

Edward J. Flanagan

“I have never found a boy who really wanted to be bad.” – Edward J. Flanagan.

Founder of Boys Town
Edward Joseph Flanagan (1886 – 1948), an Ireland native, was a Catholic priest most notable for founding Father Flanagan’s Boys Home, now known as Boys Town.

Boys Town was started in Omaha in 1921 and evolved into an official town in 1936.

Father Flanagan was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1965-1966.

Other Resources:
Historical Marker: “Father Flanagan’s Boys Home”

Dan Desdunes

(An article about Desdunes: a prominent Omaha Bandleader who volunteered at Father Flanagan’s Boys Home for 12 years and trained some of the youth.)

Inducted 1967-68

William Frederick Cody

“Buffalo Bill”
William Cody (1846 – 1917), famously “Buffalo Bill,” was a man of many roles but was highly recognized for his Wild West Show established in Nebraska. Through his entertainment contribution he “popularized the cowboy as a romantic figure in American History.”

He was also a soldier, buffalo hunter, Army scout, actor, and rancher.

Cody was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1967-68.

Other Resources:
William F. Cody – manuscript finding aid

Historical Marker: “Scout’s Rest”

-Entertainment-

“Nebraska’s Unique Contribution to the Entertainment World”

“Cody vs Carver”

“Cowboys and Art”

“Buffalo Bill’s Wild West”

“Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody and the Grand Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls”

-Legislature-

Buffalo Bill in Nebraska Legislature

“Senator Cody”

“Skirmish at Warbonnet Lake”

(A publication excerpt highlighting Cody’s participation in the Battle of Warbonnet Creek.)

Buffalo Bill in North Platte

Inducted 1969-70

William Jennings Bryan

US Congressman & Secretary of State
William Jennings Bryan (1860 – 1925) was a three-time Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States, a US congressman, US secretary of state, orator, religious leader, and an author.

He moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1887 where he worked at a law practice and harbored an interest in politics. Bryan quickly became involved in the state’s politics and was elected to congress, serving from 1891 – 1895.

Despite his failed presidential campaigns in 1896, 1900, and 1908, he helped guide the movement that led to Democratic Nominee Woodrow Wilson.

Bryan was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1969-70.

Other Resources:
William J. Bryan – manuscript finding aid

“Was William Jennings Bryan a Good Newspaper Editor?”

William Jennings Bryan World-Herald Editor

“Bryan for President in 1920”

“Mr. Bryan’s Place in the Sun”

(August 1908, Bryan accepts his nomination for presidency)

“The Silver Bugs of 1896”

(An explanation behind Bryan’s campaign pins.)

“Scopes Wasn’t the First”: Nebraska’s 1924 Anti-Evolution Trial

“The Patronage Battle Between Bryan and Hitchcock”

Inducted 1971-72

Bess Streeter Aldrich

“Narrator of Nebraska”
Originally from Iowa, Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881 – 1954) moved to Elmwood, Nebraska after the birth of her first child in 1909. She later lived in Lincoln and spent the rest of her life in Nebraska.

Aldrich gave literary life to Nebraska pioneer memories and honored the trails and dreams of settlers: that all may realize and cherish their heritage.

One of her novels, A Lantern in her Hand, was translated into many languages.

She was inducted into the Hall of Fame, 1971-72.

Other Resources:
Bess Streeter Aldrich – manuscript finding aid

Bess Streeter Aldrich House & Foundation

“The Quill” – collection

(A manuscript containing background information on The Quill – a women’s writing society that Aldrich was a member of.)

Inducted 1973-74

John Gneisenau Neihardt

“My God and I shall interknit as rain and ocean, breath and air; and O, the luring thought of it is prayer.”
– L’Envot

Poet, Historian, and Philosopher
John Neihardt (1881 – 1973) had many accomplishments, but was an esteemed writer. One of his well-known works being Black Elk Speaks.

Neihardt spent part of his childhood in Nebraska and attended Nebraska’s Normal College at Wayne. He graduated with a teaching degree at the age of 15 and completed his Bachelors at 16-years-old.

He worked a number of teaching and editorial positions prior to pursuing his love of poetry and literature.

John Neihardt was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1973-74.

Other Resources:
John G. Neihardt – about column

“John G. Neihardt: Eager Poet, Reluctant Newspaper Editor”

John G. Neihardt State Historical Site

“Why John G. Neihardt was named Nebraska Poet Laureate in 1921.”

“Neihardt’s Song of the Hoe”

Inducted 1975*76

J. Sterling Morton

“Other holidays repose upon the past. Arbor Day proposed for the future.”
– J Sterling Morton

Father of Arbor Day
J. Sterling Morton (1832 – 1902) came to the Nebraska Territory in 1854 and spent a winter in Bellevue before moving to Nebraska City. While in Nebraska, he was an editor, farmer, and worked in politics.

Morton served as Secretary of the Territory from April 1858 – May 1861 while serving as Acting Governor from December 1858 – May 1859.

President Grover Cleveland also appointed him Secretary of Agriculture in 1893.

Morton was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1975 – 76.

Other Resources:
Julius Sterling Morton – manuscript finding aid

Recollection of Morton

(A short column discussing a reminiscence of Morton)

Earth Day, Arbor Day and Morton

A Proposed Arboreal Bureau

“Was J. Sterling Morton a Racist?”

“Would Morton sacrifice his mother for political gain?”

Christmas Tree Opposition

Morton’s War on Christmas Trees

Morton’s Praise of Corn

Morton on Economy

Inducted 1975-76

Grace Abbott

Social Reformer & Social Worker
Grace Abbott (1873 – 1939), a Nebraska native from Grand Island, was internationally honored for her courageous championship of children and mothers, and for her promotion of pioneer legislation of enduring benefit to U.S. citizens.

Before she began social work career in 1908, she spent some time teaching.

Abbott was a founder of the Immigrant Protective League in 1908 and was appointed head of the Children’s Bureau in the Department of Labor by President Warren Harding in 1921.

She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975-76.

Other Resources:
Abbott Family – manuscript finding aid

(The Abbotts all participated in some level of government and activism. This manuscript provides insight into the family and their individual contributions.)

“The Abbott Sisters: Edith & Grace”

(A short article about the two most prominent Abbott kin and their accomplishments.)

Grace Abbott Medal

Inducted 1975-76

Mari Sandoz

“The real frontier lies in the stimulation of the creative mind of man”

Novelist & Historian

Mari Sandoz (1896 – 1966) was born in Sheridan County, Nebraska as Mary Susette Sandoz.

She enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1922 where she began pursuing her interest in writing.

In the following years she worked in the English Department as a proofreader, at the Nebraska State Historical Society as a researcher and proofreader, and was an associate editor of the School Executive Magazine.

She officially began her writing career in 1928 publishing works under the name of Mari Sandoz.

Sandoz was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975-76.

Other Resources:
Mari Sandoz – manuscript finding aid

Historical Marker: Mari Sandoz

E.H. Barbour Recalls Mari & “Old Jules” Sandoz

Inducted 1975-76

Nathan Pound

Educator, Administrator & Politician
Nathan Roscoe Pound (1870 – 1964) was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska.

He taught law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and served as dean of the law school for four years.

Pound served on the Nebraska Supreme Court as Commissioner of Appeals from 1901 – 1903 and taught at other universities before returning to Harvard as a law professor in 1910. He later became Dean of Harvard Law in 1916 until retiring in 1936.

He was also a notable botanist and pioneer ecologist.

Nathan Pound was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975-76.

Other Resources:
Nathan Roscoe Pound – manuscript finding aid

(includes short biography)

Inducted 1977-78

Standing Bear

“I have found a better way” – Standing Bear

“An Indian is a person within the meaning of the law” – Judge Elmer Dundy

Ponca Indian Chief & Symbol for Indian Rights
Standing Bear (1829 – 1908) is believed to have been born near the Niobrara on Ponca Land.

After fighting the U.S. Government’s relocation order of the Ponca Tribe, the chief traveled the eastern states between 1879 and 1883 speaking about Indian rights.

Standing Bear was inducted into the hall of Fame in 1977-78.

Other Resources:

Standing Bear – manuscript finding aid

History of Standing Bear

Historical Marker: The Ponca Tribe

Inducted 1979-80

Robert W. Furnas

Newspaperman, Governor, Agriculturalist, Soldier, & Historian
Robert W. Furnas (1824 – 1905) came to the Nebraska Territory in 1856 with experience as a printer, editor, and publisher. Shortly after his arrival, he started the Nebraska Advertiser, a publication in Brownville, Nebraska, and founded an agricultural periodical called the Nebraska Farmer in 1859.

Furnas later served as a military colonel in the Civil War and as Nebraska’s governor for one term from 1873 – 1875.

Among other things, he was also an agent of the Omaha Indian Agency, an organizer of the State Board of Agriculture, and an organizer of the Nebraska State Historical Society.

Robert Furnas was inducted into the Hall of fame in 1979-80.

Other Resources:
Robert Furnas – archives record

Robert Furnas – biographical sketch

Furnas, Robert W. – biography column

“Brainerd and Furnas at the Fair”

(Description of Furnas at Nebraska State Fair in 1886/1887 when it was in Lincoln)

“Agriculture Board, Nebraska” – archives record

(Discusses a bill that Furnas introduced and the first meeting of the board.)

Inducted 1981-82

Edward Creighton

Telegraph Pioneer & Banker
Edward Creighton (1820 – 1874) was noted as “one of the most successful businessmen” to come to Nebraska.

Creighton came to Omaha in 1857 where he assisted with the construction of a telegraph line extending from St. Joseph, Missouri to Omaha.

He was the Pacific Telegraph Company’s first general superintendent, and he continued to invest in the company following his resignation.

Even after becoming a Wyoming Cattleman in 1864, Creighton maintained business interests in Omaha, including his presidency of the city’s First National Bank.

Creighton hoped to one day build a learning institution in Omaha, and after his passing, his widow delivered his dream by providing funds for Creighton University’s formation.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981 – 82.

Other Resources:
Edward A. Creighton – biographical column

“Did Ed Creighton loan $100,000 to Brigham Young?”

(A blog post explaining a rumor that Creighton loaned a massive sum of money to “the Mormon leader.”)

Ed Creighton’s $100,000 Loan to Brigham Young

(An in-depth Nebraska History Magazine article)

Creighton University Founding History

Inducted 1983-84

Susette LaFlesche Tibbles

Speaker & Writer for Indian Rights
Susette LaFlesche Tibbles (1854 – 1903), aka “Inshata Theumba” or “Bright Eyes,” was born in Bellevue and raised on the Omaha reservation in Thurston County near Macy.

Tibbles and her husband publicized the trials and tribulations as an Indian through their lectures and writings.

She was also the interpreter for Ponca Chief Standing Bear at his famous 1879 trial.

Tibbles was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983-84.

Other Resources:
LaFlesche Family – manuscript finding aid

Historical Marker: Bancroft

Inducted 1985-86

Gilbert M. Hitchcock

Newspaperman & Politician
Gilbert Hitchcock (1859 – 1934) was an Omaha native with a father prominent in Nebraska politics.

Hitchcock studied law and worked at a practice in Omaha.

He established the Omaha Daily World in 1885, purchased the Omaha Herald in 1889, and combined the two that year forming the present-day Omaha World-Herald.

Hitchcock grew active in Nebraska politics and officially pursued his political career in 1902 when he represented Nebraska in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1902-04 and 1906-11. He then served in the U.S. Senate from 1911-22.

He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1985-86.

Other Resources:
Gilbert Monell Hitchcock – manuscript finding aid

“The Patronage Battle Between Bryan and Hitchcock”

William Jennings Bryan: Good Editor?

(Bryan worked at Hitchcock’s paper: the Omaha World-Herald)

Inducted 1987-88

Loren Eiseley

Anthropologist, Philosopher of Science, Essayist & Poet
Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977) was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska.

He earned a Masters and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and later became a professor of the field.

Eiseley was well-known for his science essays and books.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987-88.

Other Resources:
Loren Eiseley Foundation

“The Cellars of Time”

(A short History Nebraska article explaining a paleontology finding that inspired one of Eiseley’s written works.)

“Earth in Four Dimensions”

(An in-depth article about Nebraska’s geological history in reference to Eiseley.)

Inducted 1989-90

Hartley Burr Alexander

Philosopher, Anthropologist, Educator & Poet
Hartley B. Alexander (1873 – 1939) was born in Lincoln, Nebraska.

He was a philosophy professor at the University of Nebraska from 1908 – 1927 and President of the American Philosophical Association in 1919.

Alexander was best known as the author of the symbolism and inscriptions on the Nebraska State Capitol as well as other buildings across the United States.

He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1989-90.

Other Resources:
Hartley Burr Alexander – manuscript finding aid

Hartley B. Alexander – column biography

“The Man Behind the State Capitol”

“Nebraska’s Seventy-Fifth, 1854 – 1929”

(A short column about Nebraska’s celebration of 75 years as a state which included a notable pageant written by Alexander.)

Inducted 1990

Arthur Weimar Thompson

Auctioneer
Arthur W. Thompson (1886 – 1970) was born near Bradshaw, Nebraska and was the first ag-related inductee to the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

He studied at York College and the Lincoln Business College before joining an auctioneer business in York for three years.

In his 46-year career, Thompson called more than 7,500 livestock sales from New York to California and from Canada to Mexico. The World’s Who’s Who recognized him as “the leading purebred livestock auctioneer in the United States and Canada.”

Thompson was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1990.

Source:
“Auctioneer In Hall of Fame” / Omaha World-Herald / December 8, 1990

Inducted 1993-94

Dwight Palmer Griswold

Politician, Banker & Publisher
Dwight P. Griswold (1893 – 1954) was prominent for his political career, but was also a banker and publisher.

After the Nebraska native served in World War I, he returned to Gordon, Nebraska where he worked at the local First National Bank and was editor of the Gordon Journal.

Griswold later served as Governor of Nebraska from 1941-47 and represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate from 1953-54.

He was also chief of the American Mission for Aid to Greece from 1947-48.

Griswold was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1993-94.

Other Resources:
Griswold, Dwight Palmer – manuscript finding aid

“What did you do in the war?”

(A column containing Griswold’s accounts of Nebraska’s contributions during the Second World War.)

Inducted 1995-96

Nathan J. Gold

Businessman, Civic Leader & Philanthropist
Nathan Gold (1894 – 1970) moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1902 with his parents.

He attended the Lincoln Business College and later joined his family’s business, the Gold and Company Department Store.

Gold also served as an Army lieutenant during World War I.

He took over the Gold and Company business in 1936 and remained in Lincoln for the rest of his life dedicating his time and services to the community.

Nathan Gold was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1995-96.

Other Resources:
Nathan Jules gold – manuscript finding aid

Gold & Company – manuscript finding aid

Inducted 2000-01

Red Cloud

War Leader & Statesman of the Oglala Sioux
Red Cloud (1822 – 1909) was born in what became Garden County and rose to leadership in the early 1860s.

He opposed westward expansion and forced the U.S. government to abandon the Bozeman Trail in Wyoming in 1868. He sought to ease his peoples’ painful transition to reservation life.

From 1873-77, the Red Cloud Agency was located on the White River in northwest Nebraska.

Red Cloud was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000-01.

Other Resources:
The ‘Flagpole Affair’ at Red Cloud Agency, 1874

“The Greatest Gathering of Indians Ever Assembled”

(A blog post about the ‘flagpole affair.’)

The Cheyenne Outbreak

(A blog post discussing an interaction between the Cheyenne people and Red Cloud.)

Inducted 2007

Charles E. Bessey

Botanist, Educator & Administrator
Charles Bessey (1845 – 1915) was a highly recognized botany and horticulture professor at the University of Nebraska.

He taught at the university from 1884 – 1915 and served as chancellor from 1888 – 1891.

Bessey authored a federal legislation establishing agricultural experimentation stations at land-grant universities. His experiments with tree planting in the Nebraska Sandhills and his tireless promotion of the idea led to the establishment of the man-made Nebraska National Forest by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902.

Charles Bessey was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2007.

Other Resources:
Charles E. Bessey – biographical column

Smokers on Campus

(Chancellor Bessey’s perspective of smoking on campus)

Nebraska National Forest

(The result of Bessey’s suggestion to plant trees in the Sand Hills.)

Inducted 2014

Alvin Saunders Johnson

American Economist, Educator & Humanitarian
Alvin Saunders Johnson (1874 – 1971) was an internationally recognized economist as well as a notable educator, humanitarian, author, and social activist from Homer, Nebraska.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1897 and served in the U.S. Military during the Spanish-American War. After being honorably discharged, he attended Columbia University and received a doctorate in economics.

Johnson later taught at several universities, including the University of Nebraska.

In 1919 he co-founded the New School for Social Research in New York City–the model for American adult education–which he led for 22 years.

During the 1930s, he also raised money to bring more than 180 Jewish scholars and their families to the U.S., delivering them to safety from the Nazis.

Johnson was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2014.

Sources:
“Kerry to help honor New School founder – Alvin Saunders Johnson is the newest inductee into the Nebraska Hall of Fame” / Omaha World-Herald / May 27, 2014

“World-Herald Editorial: A notable legacy” / Omaha World-Herald / May 30, 2014

Inducted 2019

Thomas R. Kimball

Architect
Thomas Rogers Kimball (1862 – 1934) was an accomplished architect in Omaha, Nebraska.

His work on the 1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha made him nationally known.

Kimball designed many buildings across Nebraska and several in Omaha such as the Omaha Public Library, St. Cecelia’s Cathedral, and the Omaha World-Herald building.

He served as the National President of the American Institute of Architects from 1918 – 1920 and served on the Nebraska State Capitol Commission from 1919 – 1932.

Thomas Kimball was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame on June 25, 2019.

Other Resources:
Kimball, Thomas Rogers – biographical column

“Why Architect Thomas R Kimball Belongs in the Nebraska Hall of Fame”

“Promoter of Peace”

(A blog post noting a painting’s intricate frame carved by Kimball.)

Inducted 2022

Malcolm X

Human Rights Activist
Malcolm X (1925 – 1965) was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

Malcolm X is a pivotal civil rights figure who encouraged empowerment and inspired pride in Black heritage.

After serving a prison sentence in 1952, he moved to Detroit, joined the Nation of Islam, and took the name Malcolm X.

In 1964, he left the Nation of Islam, journeyed to Mecca for pilgrimage, and received the new name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

He was assassinated in 1965 while speaking at an OAAU rally in Harlem. His autobiography was published after his death and translated into 30 different languages.

Other Resources:
Malcolm X in Omaha, 1964

Malcolm X Historic Marker

Inducted 2026

Tom Osborne

Servant Leader

Tom Osborne (1937- ) was born in Hastings, NE. He was a national collegiate football championship head coach from 1973 to 1997, served as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Director from 2007 to 2013, and was a co-founder of the TeamMates Mentoring Program. Osborne was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Osborne also served Nebraska in the House of Representatives for three terms, representing Nebraska’s 3rd District, from 2001 to 2007.

Osborne is the first living person to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

Nebraska Medal of Honor Recipients

In 1969, the Nebraska State Legislature amended the Nebraska Hall of Fame statutes “to provide that Nebraskans awarded the Medal of Honor shall be named to the Hall of Fame” and required that the Hall of Fame Commission procure a plaque with the names of the Medal of Honor recipients. On May 5, 1974, the State of Nebraska officially inducted 57 Nebraska Medal of Honor recipients to the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The commission placed a bronze plaque by J.H. Matthews on the southwest pilaster of the Great Hall of the Nebraska State Capitol.

On November 11, 2013, the State of Nebraska unveiled a new, updated bronze plaque with the names of 72 Nebraska Medal of Honor recipients. The Nebraska Office of the Capitol Commission placed the new plaque in Memorial Chamber—the fourteenth floor of the capitol.