Nebraska’s first medical college, called the Nebraska School of Medicine, was opened in 1880 in Omaha. Dr. Robert R. Livingston of Plattsmouth was president of the faculty. Reorganized and renamed the Omaha Medical College the following year, the school became affiliated with the University of Nebraska in 1902. Its 1893 commencement exercises were featured in the April issue of the Omaha Druggist:
“Boyd’s theater was fairly well filled Tuesday afternoon, March 28, by friends and relatives of the graduating class of the Omaha Medical College. It was the twelfth annual commencement, and eleven students were presented with diplomas. The right of the stage was reserved for the graduating class and the faculty of the college, and a few invited guests occupied the center and left. Those present were: Drs. D. Macrae, dean of the college; W. S. Gibbs, J. E. Summers, Jr., W. H. Christie, E. W. Chase, Ewing Brown, C. C. Allison, Prof. F. A. Mueller, W. O. Bridges, W. F. Milroy, H. L. Hewetson, J. C. Denise, A. F. Jonas, H. Gifford, W. R. Lavender, F. S. Thomas, Rev. D. R. Kerr and Chancellor [James H.] Canfield of the State university,” who later delivered the main commencement address.
“Dean Macrae opened the ceremonies by asking Rev. W. P. Hellings to offer prayer. Then the dean spoke for a few minutes about the class of young men about to be presented with diplomas and said that while the class was small he was satisfied that every one of the graduates had by hard work fairly earned the honor about to be conferred. . . .
“After a selection from the orchestra, Rev. D. R. Kerr, D. D., chancellor of the University of Omaha, addressed the audience and the graduates. . . . At the conclusion of Rev. Kerr’s remarks and before the orchestra rendered its next selection the members of the classes of ’94 and ’95, who were in the audience, let go their college yell and wound it up with a hurrah for the graduates.
“Next came the conferring of the degree of doctor of medicine upon the following graduates: Harry Samuel Brevoort, James Frank Davies, Lee Wilson Edwards, Max Lee Rich, Frederick Clarence Rugg, Samuel Elmer Leard, John Findley Leeper, Hubbard Linley, Frank Arnold Stockdale, Henry Clay Wheeler and Edward Wahl Wiltse.”
