Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 34

i Paper's Leaders Served in State, Citfa County Offices Many of the original Journal members were intimately involved in the early statehood questions and served as publicly elected officials at the state, county, city and federal levels. Nebraska Legislature Four Journal members have served in Nebraska's state Legislature: Gere and Hathaway served together in the House in the 1867 first state Legislature. Gere and Hathaway again served together in the Senate in the critical 1869 session which decided the important questions of inland railroads and grants. Gere served in the 1881 session. W.

W. Carder, Gere's Commonwealth partner, served in the House in 1879, eight years after selling his interest. Stanley Matzke. Journal farm editor from 1947-1957. served in the Legislature.

Constitutional Delegate Gere served as one of Lincoln's two delegates to the Nebraska State Constitutional convention of 1875. where his work was influential in virtually erasing the threat of capital removal from Lincoln, except by of the people. Education: A First Emphasis The Journal's founder. Charles H. Gere, in his multiple capacities as editor, Lincoln-builder, legislator, constitutional convention delegate, and University of Nebraska launched and irrevocably committed vigorous, ongoing Journal editorial support for education.

Nebraska University In his forthcoming history of the University of Nebraska, "Frontier University," Prof Robert N. Manley of Hiram Scott College identifies Gere as a "staunch supporter of higher education" and "one of the i sity's most outstandum Undoubtedly motivated by the reality that a new capita 1 i i upon the prairie need population state institution financial support, and the amenities of civilization to flourish. Gere's support of education was genuine as well as Chamber of Commerce oriented He. himself, a graduate of Dickinson College, a Baltimore grammar school teacher, a member of the bar, was a a a scholar in both his political and editorial life. As chairman of the 1869 Senate Committee on Education.

Gere pushed through the state Legislature in two days the University of Nebraska's charter. NU Charter and University Hall In this 1869 session, Gene also engineered an appropriation for the University's first building. University Hall, and saw that a bid was let ior its construction that year Repeatedly Gere defended the University against both political and editorial attacks aimed either at removal of the University from Lincoln or its division into two schools at separate cities. When the attack on the University centered on the safety of its single building, University Hall, he arranged an impartial investigation, then assisted in raising in Lincoln the funds necessary to reconstruct its poorly built foundation, editorially even proposing an appropriation from the city treasury. Multiplicity and Excellence Gere's consistent position against division of the state's inadequate tax resources and quality capability between two separate state institutions of higher learning, along the pattern of Iowa or Kansas, led The Journal in the 1900s to oppose the creation of a multiplicity of state normal schools, and in the mid-1950s to oppose the granting of doctorate degrees in education by the normal schools at a time when the University's teachers college did not even have a doctorate program.

A University with Freedoms Gere staunchly opposed legislative and political interference within the University's educational concepts and faculty internal affairs. A later concern, over partixan politics, or spoil system in the University opposed by Gere, was avoided by adoption of a non-partisan ballot for regent. Long before "academic freedom" was a phrase familiar to Nebraska, Gere fought for faculty freedom in religious and political areas. For its defense of academic freedom of University professors and the wave of anti-German emotionalism of World War I and its warnings of "inflating a possible molehill of actual disloyalty into a mountain of imaginary disloyalty" by the state council. The Journal was editorially tabbed by the Star as "Der Staats Journal." Later defense of this principle saw The Journal criticize attempts of state legislators, regents, the American Legion and Nebraska Farm Bureau to suppress faculty or student newspaper views.

A University of Excellence From 1869 to 1904, The Journal's Gere was a persistent supporter of cellence. Ironically, earlier The Journal had questioned the legality of University sabbatical leaves with pay. More recently, The Journal has supported quality over bugness, reversing its 1879 policy of "fill up the University" and the evolving idea of the University as THE single state-supported graduate school cooperating with all state higher education as deserving more emphasis than undergraduate instruction. Gere personally participated in the selection of three University chancellors, Irving J. Manatt, Charles and James H.

Canfielrl. During the 1882-4 period when University was without a chancellor. Gere himself recruited additional faculty of excellence, emphasizing specialists and research scholars Later, Journal became a strong booster of research and agresearch (insisting in 1965 that research be divorced from politics). During Gere's years as a regent. 1881-1894.

the University of Nebraska, at less than 20 years of age. attained a national reputation ol eminence. A Centennial Support Gere served as president of the Board of Regents, 1884-1891 In recognition of his service to Board of Regents, the University awarded Gere an honorary Ph. D. degree in 1894.

With the advent of the normal schools, The Journal in 1917 recognized merit in the principle of coordination of all higher education institutions, but feared abandonment of the Board of Regents would harm the University. Today The Journal feels coordination of higher education is a financial and planning necessity. The Journal has supported federal aid to higher education and broadening of agriculture extension to reach the urban needs of of Nebraska's population. Battle over Which Campus In the 1914 statewide vote on University removal from the downtown to the eastern agricultural campus, removal was supported by The Journal and the Omaha Bee and World-Herald and successfully opposed by The Lincoln Star and many western newspapers. In a rare instance in which history vindicates both views, the two campuses are in the process of growing together, the professional schools are being transferred to the new "East Campus," and the depreciating central business core benefits "Cornhuskers" Nicknamed Interest in NU extended way beyond the academic.

Journal Sports Editor Cy Sherman hated seeing the Nebraska teams called Bugeaters and Rattlesnake Boys, so in 1899 he tabbed them "Cornhuskers." And it has stuck to these days in that form, or contracted as "Huskers." this north anchor of rejuvenated, attractive land use. Statewide Higher Education Any early tendency of The Journal's support of education to center parochially around Lincoln institutions progressively disappeared in succeeding years of this century. The Journal supported: expansion of junior and community colleges throughout the state with state aid; buildup accreditation and adequate financing of the University Medical School in Omaha (in 1876 The Journal favored a medical school at Lincoln); merger of the University of Nebraska with Omaha University; coordination of higher education; adequate financing and bachelor degrees programs in the normal schools, state building levies for all state institutions at all locations; development of adult and costinuing education: and a statewide ETV network. Will They Come, Will They Go? The continued export from the state of the asset of educated youth and the "brain leakage" of departing pro- lessors, said by the Omaha World- Herald to prove the excellence of the University, has continually been decried by The Journal as expensive and wasteful in terms of Nebraska development. The Journal's historic position favoring first no tuition in 1876, then low tuition for all higher education, was relaxed is 1967, recognizing the student's proper share of responsibility for raising educational costs benefiting his rising earning power, if the low-income student access to scholarships, grants, and loans is increased Railway Commission Gere, whose interest in railroads had placed him as chairman of the railroad committee in the Senate in the 1869 state legislative session, served between 1882-1886 as a member and secretary of the Leislature-created predecessor of the state railway commission before the present constitutional board.

This was the state's earliest efforts at railroad rate regulation. Whitehall Orphanage Associate i H. T. Dobbins served as secretary and board member of the Nebraska State Society for Friendless, now the State Orphanage. "Whitehall." State Committees Governors' Advisory Committees: Nebraska Arts Council: Women's Editor Mrs.

Helen Haggie Education: State House Bureau Head Richard Herman Commission on Women's Status: Women's Editor Mrs. Helen Haggie. Polio Immunization: Managing Edi- tor Joe R. Seacrest. Tourism: Managing Editor Joe R.

Seacrest. County Service On the County side of government, Gere in 1869 served as county attorney. Advisory Boards Managing Editor Joe R. Seacrest has served in 1959-61 as chairman of the Lancaster County Medical Advisory Board which recommended a County Convalescent Unit, City-County Health Department, and County Welfare-Relief Building adjacent to Lincoln General. Editorial Page Editor Jack a was a member of the city-county tax and assessment consolidation advisory committee.

Joe R. Seacrest has served with the citizens group supporting a Wilderness Park along Salt Creek. The J. C. Seacrest Trust has contributed a 520,000 gift toward this land acquisition.

Lincoln School Board Co-owner of the State Journal Hiram Hathway was the first of four Journal members to serve on the Lincoln School Board in 1878-80 when he also was its vice president. State Journal Printing a Jacob North served on the board between 1881-5 and as the board's secretary, 1882-3. Associate Editor A. L. Bixby was a board member between 1902-7, and served as president.

1904-5. Present State Journal Company director John C. Whitten served on the board between 1943-9, as vice president 1945-6, and as president. 194657 Other newspapermen on the school board were S. D.

Cox (Call, 1887-91), M. Bushnell (1899-1902). Serving on the district's advisory retirement committee creating a pension outline for Lincoln teachers was Managing Editor Joe R. Seacrest. Lincoln City Council Gere's Commonwealth a W.

W. Carder, was a member of Lincoln's first village board in 1868 Gere. himself, was elected a member of the second village board in 1869, and reelected in 1870 as chairman of the board. Kenneth P. Lewis, Journal printer and later Journal-Star Printing Co.

printer who had served as secretary of the Central Labor Union from 194359. served on the Lincoln City Council between 1958-1962. Advisory Boards Service on advisory boards has been more frequent. Co-Publisher Joe W. Seacrest served on the Park Board between 1941-1966.

Star Editor William Dobler is currently a member of this board. The State Journal Company in 1947 donated the north entrance to Pioneer Park. Lincoln General Hospital: trustee: Co-Publisher Joe W. Seacrest, 19371945. Mayor's Committee on International Relations: Copy Editor Joe FitzGerald and Educational Writer MacDowell.

Newspapermen Postmasters Two Journal staff members a served terms as postmasters: Charles H. Gere (7th postmaster, 1890-4) as a political appointment of the Republican Harrison administration, and Kenneth P. Lewis (present postmaster 1962-). Lincoln newspapermen to serve as postmaster include J. C.

McBride (Nebraska Farmer) 1881-87, Albert Watkins (Daily Democrat), 188790, H. M. Bushnell (Daily Call), 18981902, and O. E. Jerner (Lincoln Star), 1943-1962.

Nov. 2, Lincoln Evening Journal Nebraska State Journal 11.