History as Presented in the Tech High School Mural

 The interior wall of Technical High School, Omaha School District Administration Building is filled with a mural.  Upon it as depictions of many people important to education in Omaha. 

"Every student, Every day, Prepared for success" Love, Connection,  Language, Results.
Green School Initiative.  Green Schools Initiative to lower resource consumption and teach environmental responsibility across the district. 

Equity, leadership, love.

Lyndon B. Johnson "War on Poverty."  Title 1.  Title 1 provides federal funds to schools with a high percentage of families in poverty.  KIOS 91.5 is Omaha's public radio station

Lerleon Johnson was an advocate for fair school opportunities and housing.
Dorothy Eure was also a civil rights and education advocate.
Dr. Owen Knutzen was superintendent of schools in Omaha from 1967-1982
Senator Ernie Chambers is the longest serving state senator in Nebraska.  He is African American and a civil rights advocate.
Thomas Warren is the first African American police chief in Omaha.
I.D.E.A.  Individuals with Disabilities Eduction Act
Susan Buffett was the wife of Warren Buffett and a civil rights advocate

Johnny Rogers, Heisman trophy winner Tech High School.
Dave Rimington, Professional football, South High School.
Johnny Goodman, golfer, last amateur to win U.S. Open, South High School.
Nile Kinnick Heisman trophy winner, Benson High School, died during WWII.
Ron Boone, professional basketball, Tech High School.
Maurtice Ivy, basketball and track and field, state high school hall of fame and Big Eight player of the year, Central High School. 
Gale Sayers, football an track and field, Hall of Fame in football Central High School.
Ike Mahoney, football, basketball, played professionally for Chicago Cardinals, set scoring record in state tourney in basketball.  Tech High School
Bob Gibson starred in basketball and track at Tech high school and became pro hall-of-famer in baseball.
Kathy Knudsen, volleyball outside hitter and played collegiately for UNO, Benson high school.
James Hartung lead South Omaha to four consecutive state championships in gymnastics, member 1980 Olympic team, won team gold in 1984.
Bob Boozer, basketball, won Olympic gold 1960 and NBA champion in 1971.  drafted ahead of Wilt Chamberlain, Tech High school.
Charles Bryant, football and wrestling at South High School.  Despite small size he earned Big Seven honors as a lineman in football.  He also wrestled in college.  He taught in Omaha area and became the first Black head high school coach in the Omaha area coaching wrestling for Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson.

Gregg Olson, baseball at Northwest High School where he went 27-0 and won four state championships.
Roger Sayers, track and field, football, he won 100 and 200 meter dashes in two consecutive years.  Central High School, older brother of Gale Sayers.
Marlin Briscoe football,  First African American athlete to start at quarterback for a professional football team, South High School.

Jerry Pabst, art teacher later promotored to district art director who donated $ three million to prostrate cancer research
No I.C.E.
Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago, Santee, four Native American Tribes in Nebraska
Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte, first Native American woman doctor
ADA, American with Disabilities Act
Español-Ingles/Spanish-English
Bob Whitehouse, Bryan High School principal, block scheduling pioneers

Tom Harvey, educator and administrator
RaNae Kehrber, teacher and now assistant superintendent Omaha Public Schools
Virtual School
Cheryl Logan, first woman and first African American superintendent Omaha Public Schools, served during COVID

Nebraska History: Lewis and Clark expedition, Emancipation proclamation, Homestead Act, Howard Kennedy, first superintendent Omaha; Dodge School was at 11th and Dodge, built in 1872. 

Great Seal of the State of Nebraska, 1867.
Lake School, built 1879 at 19th and Lake.
Lucinda Gamble, first Black teacher at Cass School and Dodge School.
John Dewey, local allergist and M.D

Ngar, Wang Anita

Omaha High School road shows, 
Kate McHugh, first and only female principal at central High School, first lady of central High School.

J.G. Masters, principle for many years at Central High School

Elizabeth Davis Pittman, first black and first woman judge in Nebraska, member Omaha school board

Dr. Janie Calfus, first female elected to Omaha Board of Education

Omaha Chief of Police John J. (Gentleman Jack) Pszanowski

Lawrence Kline, economist who was born in Omaha

Harrison Tull was a Tuskegee Airmen who became an Omaha educator
John Pehle, Saved countless Jews, exposed U.S. acquiescence and cover-up of the holocaust and became War Refugee Board director

Kindergarten
strike, pay your certified engine custodian

Belle Ryan, assistant superintendent of Omaha schools and Belle Ryan school named for her
First Omaha middle school, Monroe Middle School
Alan Heeger physicist who went to high school Central High and became a Nobel winner for chemistry 

Eugene Skinner Black coach in Omaha, and assistant superintendent Omaha schools,
Dr. Jim Ramirez working in packing industry while going to school to get his doctorate then worked to improve education for minorities.

History of Bellevue as seen at Durham History Museum

 This information is provided at the museum with regards to Bellevue.

The original trading post that was on the river then but not now

County is named for Peter Sarpy

Standing Bear, Ponca Chief

Chumash Cave State Park

Chumash Cave State Park is in Santa Barbara, California.  Entry to the cave is now gated because of too much vandalism. However there is a website that provides a digital tour of the cave artwork.  It is very intricate, colorful and pretty.  There is a representation of an eclipse of the Sun, Mars and Antares.  The art uses tree colors, red, white and black.

America 250 Lecture: Native American Tribes in Nebraska

 Nancy Gillis from Humanities Nebraska will speak on the origins, history and current state of the five tribes of Nebraska: Omaha, Ponca, Pawnee, Santee, and Winnebago.  I enjoyed the lecture, but did not retain as much as I would have liked.  The Pawnee, originally from Nebraska were moved to Oklahoma, but are now returning, especially with planting original Pawnee seeds in Nebraska, she told the POnca stor and their forced removal, and the return of a small group, the Omaha and their emphasis on education which lead to the first Native American female doctor in America.  The Santee and the Winnebago I don't think were original to Nebraska.  Santee were moved here from MInnesota after Indian Wars and placed on Ponca land.  

Susan, Sussette and Francis LaFlesche

Magazine Article Review: The Bicentennial Sculpture Project: A Nebraska Controversy

The Bicentennial Sculpture Project: A Nebraska Controversy by Gail DeBuse Potter, Nebraska History, Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, Nebraska, Spring, 2026 pp 14-27.

It has been 50 years since the Bicentennial Statue Garden was completed in Nebraska.  The statue garden is a series of statues placed at different rest areas along I80 across the state in Nebraska.  I have seen some of them, but have also missed some.  

The controversy stems from some people not approving of the design of the statues, or the themes and that all of the artists were from ojut of state.  A newspaper article announces there were "No Indians, no bison, no covered wagons."  The statues are more modern art and all abstract.  People were also worried about funding, but the projects were funded by donations and the committee formed to spear head the project.  It was proposed there be twelve statues, but the funding woud only allow for ten.  And when the got into the project the donations were a bit short, so the settled on eight statues.  Seven were unveiled on July 4, 1976:  "Arrival" Blue River eastbound, Paul Von Ringelheim; "Crossing the Plains" York westbound, Bradford Graves; "Erma's Desire" Grand Island eastbound, John Raimondi; "Nebraska Gateway" Brady westbound, Anthony Padovano; "Up/Over Ogallala westbound, Linda Howard; "Roadway Confluence" Sidney westbound, Hans Van de Bovenkamp; "Memorial to the American Bandshell" Platte River eastbound, Richard Field.  The exhibit "Nebraska Wind Sculpture" Kearney westbound was unveiled in September, George Baker.  Two statues were not completed, "Platte River Ribbon" Cozad eastbound Steve Urry and "Seed of Nebraska" Kimball eastbound, Jerry Rothman.

"Roadway Confluence" was damaged by wind beyond repair and taken down in 2011.  A virtual exhibit is available.

Book of Mormon Evidences: Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins

 Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins edited by Noel B. Reynolds, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Provo, Utah 1997.

This is a very extensive review of Book of Mormon origin.  Some of the articles are very good and very convincing, especially those about characteristics in the text such as chiasmus and other Hebraic poetry forms.  While other chapters were not as impressive.  There are many different authors presented in this work.  There are articles about the translation process and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the witnesses to the Book of Mormon.  Authors include: Noel Reynolds, Richard L. Bushman, Richard L. Anderson, Royal Skousen, Louis C. Miodgeley, Daniel C. Peterson, Melvin J. thorne, John W. Welch, John L. Hilton, James E. Smith, Donal W. Parry, John  Tvedtnes, Noel B. Reynolds, John L. Sorenson and William J. Hamblin.  In addition to chasmus and ancient writing techniques there is information about the translation and the witnesses, wordprint studies, Book of Mormon Parallelism, the journey across the Arabian Peninsula and warfare studies.  This book does take the idea that the Book of Mormon is a Mesoamerican Record, which I am not convinced of but think more likely in North America.  

Overall it is a very convincing argument for the Book of Mormon, however true testimony comes by way of the spirit and the book will help on draw closer to Jesus than any other book.  

Magazine Article Review: Documented: "Now there was blood in her eye." An 1879 Interview with Bright Eyes

 Documented: "Now there was blood in her eye."  An 1879 Interview with Bright Eyes, Nebraska History, Nebraska State Historiucal Society, Lincoln, Nebraska, Spring 2026, pp 2-5.

Ishtatheamba (Bright Eyes) or Susette La Flesche Tibbles was known as the interpreter for Chief Standing Bear who brought suit against General George Crook and was the first in which a Native American was declared a citizen.  Born in Bellevue in 1854, shortly before the Omaha abandoned the area for a reservation north of Omaha.  She was educated in the East and interpreted for the Ponca Chief as the Ponca and Omaha share the same language.  

The party was interviewed by a reported with the Chicago Inter Ocean and he conducted a followup interview with Bright eyes after the initial interview with the entire group.  Bright Eyes showed the wrongs done to Native Americans without mincing words.  She talked about how money allotments from the government for their land was not administered by the people, but by the government.  She help that it was better the money be kept together, but Native Americans needed some say in the money.  She also said that some agents abused this power for their own benefit.  The agents also censor mail sent to the Native Americans.  She contended soldiers were kept to fight Indians over problems they had created.  She also pointed out soldiers killed women and children, and not always in open battle.  She concluded that white people should treat Native Americans on an equal footing, that they be allowed to be citizens and farmers.  

Bright Eyes also wrote a forward for a book written by her husband about the Ponca story.  She wanted people to hear the Ponca story so they could intervene with regards to this injustice.  In this forward she saw that a central purpose of government was to protect people from the arbitrary use of power.