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1966 Blue Book

          The Centennial Commission and staff are responsible for the planning and execution of the Nebraska Centennial Commemoration and the coordination of all events on the state and county level during the Centennial Year of 1967. The program of work of the Centennial Commission demonstrates that a genuine effort by all Nebraskans to rededicate their efforts to the next one hundred years can be a tangible asset to the state. Over 85 of the Nebraska counties have active County Centennial Committees following the three part program of work set up by the Centennial Commission.

     1. Honoring our heritage.

     2. Staging a Celebration to Commemorate the 100th Year of Statehood.

     3. Rededication to the future, or laying of a proper foundation for the second 100 years.

     The Nebraska Centennial Commission received an appropriation of $600,000 from the 1965 Legislature. All of the funds are being used for programs of lasting value to the state, coordinated through 33 Centennial State Committees.

     Through the franchising of the Official Centennial Seal the Nebraska Centennial Non-Profit Association collects royalties on all items bearing the seal. These royalties are then shared with the County Centennial Committees where the items are sold. The funds received by the Centennial Non-Profit Association are being used for the entertainment features of the State Centennial Commission programs.

     Official dates of the Nebraska Centennial Commemoration are from March 1, 1967 through Thanksgiving Day. Official Centennial events are planned in all geographic locations of the state as well as in Lincoln and Omaha.

     The Centennial program is designed to develop the appreciation of Nebraskans of all of the resources of the state, and to present to the nation and world Nebraska's economic potential.

     The Centennial will focus attention on the past and direct the interest of Nebraskans to the future of their state. Through County Centennial Committees the Commemoration has served as a unifying influence in the communities, towns and cities.

     The grass roots effort of Centennial planning has developed a renewed community or city pride. This pride has spread to the county level and then on to a renewed state pride second to none.

     The Nebraska Centennial Commission office, opened in December 1963, has served as a clearing house for all Centennial efforts by Centennial Committees, large and small industry, and state organizations and associations, developing special plans for commemoration of the Centennial Year,

Don H. Shriner
Centennial Commission Director

State Capitol Building

     The present State Capitol, the fifth to be erected by the state, is accepted as one of the most beautiful government buildings in the world. The building was designed by Bertram Goodhue who selected Lee Lawrie, sculptor, August Vincent Tack, mural artist, and Hildreth Meiere, designer of tile and mosaic, to assist him. Built of Indiana limestone, it is in the form of a cross in a square, with four interior courts. The base of the building, which is four hundred and thirty-seven feet square, is two stories high. From this base rises the tower, four hundred feet high, crowned with the bronze figure of "The Sower" designed by Lee Lawrie. A progressive form of ornamentation extends from the principal entrance to the rotunda of the building, starting with the carved buffalo at the main entrance.

     The building, furnishings, and landscaping cost over ten million dollars. The money was secured by a special capitol levy, and the building was fully paid for when completed in 1932. The actual construction took ten years and was carried out under the direction of William Younkin.

     The Capitol Commission responsible for the construction of the building was composed of the Governor, the State Engineer and three members appointed by the Governor. The appointed members were W. E. Hardy, Lincoln; W. H. Thompson, Grand Island and Walter W. Head, Omaha. The Governors acting as chairmen of the commission during the construction of the building were Samuel R. McKelvie, Charles W. Bryan, Adam McMullen and Arthur J. Weaver. The State Engineers were George B. Johnson and Robert L. Cochran. The commission selected Thomas R. Kimball of Omaha as professional adviser for the commission and he wrote the terms of the competition by which the architect was chosen. Hartley Burr Alexander of the University of Nebraska was responsible for the inscriptions and symbols used on the building.

State Flag of Nebraska

     Representative J. Lloyd McMaster of Lancaster County introduced a bill in 1925, designating a state banner. The law describes the banner as "a reproduction of the great seal of the state charged on the center in gold and silver on a field of national blue." The 1963 Legislature designated the state banner the official state flag of Nebraska.

     A joint resolution introduced by Representative F. C. Rundle of Hamilton County, and approved March 22, 1929, declares the western meadowlark to be the state bird of Nebraska.

     A bill introduced by Representative John H. Comstock of Lancaster County, and approved March 25, 1931, designates March 1 as State Day.

     A joint resolution introduced by Representative L. P. Judd of Boone County, and approved April 4, 1895, designates the goldenrod (Solidago serotina) as the floral emblem of the state.

     In 1895 by joint resolution introduced by Senator C. H. Sloan of Geneva, and approved on April 4, the state was designated as the "Tree Planters' State." In 1945 by act of the Legislature, the popular name of the state was changed to the "Cornhusker State."

     By resolution introduced by Alois Slepicka on February 8, 1937 and adopted February 15, the American Elm was designated as the state tree of Nebraska.

     The Legislature of 1931 designated October 11 as Pulaski Memorial Day.

     The Legislature of 1935 directed the Governor to proclaim April 13 of each year as Thomas Jefferson Memorial Day.

The Executive Mansion

The Nebraska Blue Book is published biennially in the even-numbered years. This is the twenty-sixth volume to be published since its first appearance in 1915, and the fourteenth to appear under the sponsorship of the Nebraska Legislative Council. Prior to 1940, the responsibility for this work rested upon the Nebraska Legislative Reference Bureau, which was then attached to the University of Nebraska. When the Bureau was abolished in 1939, its duties were transferred to the Legislative Council.

The primary purpose of the Blue Book is to serve as a handy reference to the state of Nebraska, its early history, its constitutional development, and its present governmental structure. It contains detailed descriptions of each of the agencies of the state government, the names of the principal public officials in the state, including those of the cities and counties, and much statistical information on all phases of the state and its people. There is also included in this volume a brief outline of the organization of the national government, the various field offices and chief personnel of the national government situated in the state, and Nebraska's members in Congress.

The Blue Book is prepared for those desiring information concerning the state of Nebraska and its government. The Legislative Council will continue to welcome any and all suggestions relative to changes in, additions to, or deletions from the text of the present volume. The book is about Nebraska for Nebraskans, and their reactions to it are therefore sincerely solicited.

As has been the case for a number of years, the primary task of preparing and editing this volume has been performed by Miss Helen Griess, Research Associate of the Nebraska Legislative Council. This year, as in the past, this task has been "well done."

Jack W. Rodgers
Director of Research
Nebraska Legislative Council December, 1966

     Since the 1966 Nebraska Blue Book has been in the process of being printed, the following appointments and changes have been made:

Page 348: Mr. Robert D. Marcotte, Omaha, was appointed to succeed Mr. Howard C. Larsen, Omaha, on the Nebraska

Aeronautics Commission. Mr. Marcotte's term of office will expire March 1, 1972.

Page 376: Mr. John S. Samson, Omaha, and Mr. Walter W. Slack, Omaha, were reappointed to the Nebraska Water Pollution Control Council.

Their terms of office will expire March 1, 1970.

Page 392: Mr. W. W. Braun, Beatrice, was appointed to succeed Mr. Loyd B. Gettys, David City, on Beatrice State Home Advisory Board.

Mr. Braun's term of office will expire March 1, 1972.

Mrs. C. D. McGrath, Grand Island, was appointed to succeed Mr. Pat Morris, Hastings, on Hastings State Hospital Advisory Board.

Mrs. McGrath's term of office will expire March 1, 1972.

Mrs. Jean M. Koster, Norfolk, was reappointed to Norfolk State Hospital Advisory Board. Mrs. Koster's term of office will expire

March 1, 1972.

Page 402: Mr. Lyle G. Trease, Secretary of Advisory State Highway Commission, resigned March 11, 1967. Mr. Cecil Eloe was appointed Secretary.

Page 414: Mr. James C. Smith was appointed Director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs to succeed Mr. Leo J. Beck who died.

Page 461: Mr. Cliff E. Hillegass was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. A. James Ebel from the Centennial Commission.

Mr. Hillegasses term of office will expire June 30, 1968.

Page 536: Mr. Gerald Schmitz was appointed Otoe County Clerk to succeed Mr. Ed Harshbarger who died.

Page 540: Mr. Garlie Sailors was appointed Dakota County Superintendent.

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