900 Famous Nebraskans
Nationally Distinguished Nebraskans:
A Brief Bio-Bibliography of 900 Individuals
Copyright © 2015 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 900 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 website 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.
The original files are housed in the Archives and Special Collections at Love Library on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln city campus. Contact staff members by phone (402) 472-2531 or email: archives@unl.edu
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view the entries, and allow sufficient time for downloading. If you do not have Acrobat Reader on your computer, a free download is available. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader
updated March 31, 2016
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