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Nationally Distinguished Nebraskans:
A Brief BioBibliography of 700 Individuals
Copyright © 2005 by E. A. Kral
A historical researcher and writer, the author previously
taught in the public schools of Livingston, CA and of
Lincoln and Grand Island, NE for a combined total of 30 years.
He is currently engaged in researching and
writing a bio-bibliographic reference on more than 700 nationally
distinguished Nebraskans, and offers his preliminary
findings in this Internet version.
Candidates for inclusion are any nationally distinguished
person who was born in Nebraska or who resided in
the state for any length of time after 1854, the year the
Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed. Selection criteria for
inclusion involves meeting most, if not all, of the following
conditions or traits:
- A pioneer in a field, a founder, inventor, developer,
creator, opinion maker, significant leader, record holder,
performer or major philanthropist.
- Listed in reliable reputable
national references or publications.
- Longevity of accomplishment,
preferably a major portion of one’s lifetime.
- Magnitude
of accomplishment (the pinnacle or near-pinnacle of one’s
field or expertise) and contribution to society.
- Recognized
as distinguished by peers and audiences elsewhere.
- Recipient
of major national awards, honors or recognition.
The names of individuals who have been known to perpetrate
harmful or significant fraud or were convicted of a felony
are not included.
The author has provided selected entries based on above-stated
criteria, and has therefore not intended to
include everyone who has made important contributions on
the national level. Other authors are encouraged to
research and write about those who have achieved on the
local, state and regional levels as well as the national
arena, and families can benefit from preparing histories
based on their own ancestry.
Readers are urged to pursue the suggested readings for
each entry to learn more about an individual’s accomplishment.
If the local library does not house the sources listed,
consider using the interlibrary loan system.
Microfilm of all Nebraska newspapers is housed in the public
reading room of the Nebraska State Historical
Society at 1500 R Street in Lincoln, which is open daily
except Sunday, Monday and holidays. Phone the
NSHS at (402) 471-3270 or (800) 833-6747 to learn hours
the reading room is open.
The microform room at Love Library on the city campus of
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln houses microfilm
of several national newspapers such as the New
York Times as well as many journals. Phone Love Library
at (402) 472-2848 for access hours.
This Internet edition is available on websites hosted by
the Nebraska State Education Association, the
Nebraska Press Association, and the Gage County Historical
Society as a resource for Nebraska educators and
their students as well as anyone else, such as journalists
and state leaders. The organizations hosting this web-
site version are in no way responsible for the content
or accuracy of the information provided by the author.
The author grants permission and encourages educators and
librarians and county historical society
directors to print the complete file (introduction, table
of contents, brief biographical entries, and index
of entrants) for placement in local collections for long-term
access to the public.
Upon completion of the project in a few years, the author
will donate his original files for addition to the E. A.
Kral Personal Papers Collection housed in the Archives
at Love Library on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
city campus.
Duplicate files that contain the majority of information
housed in the author’s original files are now accessible
to the public at the Gage County Museum at 2nd & Court
Streets in Beatrice. Prior arrangements are necessary.
Contact staff members by phone (402) 228-1679 or email:
gagecountymuseum@beatricene.com.
For convenience of readers, brief highlights of many significant
accomplishments by Nebraskans in all fields
nationally are provided in the Table of Contents. The biographical
entries reveal that hundreds of persons connected
to the state by birth and by residence have achieved the
pinnacle of their fields of endeavor, and have
been credited by their peers for major influence, innovations,
inventions, and other notable efforts.
In the area of public leadership, the state can claim one
U.S. President, three U.S. Vice Presidents, sixteen who
have served in Cabinet-level executive positions, eight
in White House assignments in direct contact with our
nation’s President, and several who have held high
offices of various federal agencies. Two have served in
major political offices in foreign countries.
In the private sector, the state can claim one person who
was ranked as the 13th wealthiest American in history,
founders of many enduring businesses of national influence,
and chief executive officers of dozens of large
corporations as well as educational institutions.
Indicators of significant achievements by Nebraska-connected
professionals in all fields exist not only in their
accomplishments but also in the many forms of high recognition.
This Internet version includes 175 entrants
who have been included in the American
National Biography,
the prestigious biographical reference published
by Oxford University Press. Also noteworthy is the fact
that 42 were featured on the cover of Time, and several
on the covers of Business Week, Newsweek, U.S.
News & World
Report, and other magazines.
Thirty-one entrants were elected to the National Academy
of Sciences (and several more to the NAS companion
organizations of the Institute of Medicine and the National
Academy of Engineering) and seven to the
National Academy of Design. Two were inducted into the
National Inventors Hall of Fame.
As for awards, six Nebraskans have won Nobel Prizes, three
more were nominated, and one who refused nomination;
twenty-one the Pulitzer Prize (17 individual and 4 group),
twelve the Horatio Alger Award, 13 the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, six the National Medal of
Science, and two U.S. poet laureates.
In mass communication, music, and performing arts, there
have been 15 different recipients of Academy
Awards (some more than once), 14 Emmy Awards, 11 Golden
Globe Awards, seven Tony Awards, eight
Peabody Awards (4 individual and 3 group), four Grammy
Awards, and two Obie Awards. There have been 29
persons honored with a star placed on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame.
Among the indicators of high achievement in the field of
sports are 23 Olympic gold medal winners, at least
16 college coaches who won national championships, 15 athletes
inducted into professional halls of fame (and
10 more in the entries of short-term residents), and two
Sullivan Award winners.
The author could not have identified and researched the
accomplishments of so many Nebraskans alone. He
therefore acknowledges the research assistance of archivists
and staff members of public and private
repositories and institutions statewide and nationwide,
and appreciates many instances of cooperation from
staff members of Doane College Library at Crete, Love Library
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the
public libraries at Beatrice, Crete, Lincoln, Omaha, and
Wilber, the Nebraska State Historical Society at
Lincoln, the Douglas County Historical Society at Omaha,
and the Gage County Historical Society at Beatrice.
Special gratitude is also extended to state newspapers
as well as relatives and friends of entrants for their
valuable
assistance. And last but not least, the author thanks the
staff of the Crete News and the Nebraska State
Education Association for preparation of the electronic
version for placement on the Internet.
Suggestions or corrections or inquiries may be mailed to
the author at PO Box 685, Wilber, NE 68465. Or contact
Al Koontz or Karen Kilgarin of the NSEA at (402) 475-7611
or (800) 742-0047 or email:
akoontz@nsea.org. Or contact Allen Beermann of the NPA
at (402) 476-2851 or (800) 369-2850 or email:
nebpress@nebpress.com. Or contact Lesa Arterburn of Gage
County Museum at (402) 228-1679 or email:
gagecountymuseum@beatricene.com.
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