The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University of Nebraska. The institution has a strong tradition of serving commuter students from within Omaha, but in recent years has developed student housing. On October 8, 2008, the University of Nebraska Omaha celebrated its 100th year of existence.
History
Omaha University
The original Omaha University was founded in 1908 in the Kountze Place neighborhood of North Omaha. The first classes were located in the Redick Mansion, once at North 24th and Pratt Streets, from 1909 through 1917. As the university was established a few blocks north of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, most of its early faculty were recruited from Seminary teachers, as well as the faculty of Bellevue College. There were 26 students in the first year, most of whom had graduated from Omaha Central High School. Three of the University's first four presidents were ordained Presbyterian ministers. Two other buildings on the original campus included Jacobs Hall, a gymnasium erected in 1910, and Joslyn Hall, a classroom building erected in 1917.
Jacobs Hall was a gymnasium facing North 24th Street, built with $14,000 from the sale of land donated by Lillian Maul. The land, the first donation to the university, was near the present West Dodge campus of the university. It was the first new building constructed on the university campus. Joslyn Hall was built with funds donated by a well-known resident, George A. Joslyn. Donating $25,000 toward the building, he stipulated the school match that with another $25,000 in a year. The building was located just north of Redick Hall and was finished in January 1917. Joslyn Hall had three stories and a basement, with a total of thirty classrooms that accommodated 750 students. The building included chemistry and physics laboratories, an auditorium and music department. Redick Hall was sold and moved in February 1917 to Minnesota, where it was adapted for use in a resort.
In the early 1920s a proposed "magnificent campus" was slated for development between 21st and 25th Avenues, bounded by Kountze Park and the Carter Lake Park. In 1927, businessmen formed the North Omaha Activities Association in order to redevelop Saratoga School's playing field into a football field for the University's football team. With new bleachers built to accommodate a crowd of one thousand, the Saratoga Field was home to OU's football team until 1951. The school also served as OU's science call from 1917 to 1926.
The university moved from the North Omaha campus to its present main location at 60th and Dodge Street in 1938. The old campus buildings were redeveloped for a time as apartments and offices. In June 1964 Jacobs and Joslyn halls were the last two original OU buildings at 24th & Pratt Streets to be demolished. They were taken down in the early 1960s to make way for a 12-story Omaha Housing Authority apartment building for the elderly, which was completed in 1965.
Dr. Milo Bail became president of Omaha University in 1948 and served until 1965. During that time, Omaha hotel magnate Eugene C. Eppley's foundation gave more than $1.2 million to the university. After Eppley's passing, the Eppley Foundation donated another $50,000 to recruit distinguished professors. The Eugene C. Eppley Administration Building, designed by John Latenser, Sr., at the university was named in recognition of the gifts. In 1952 the national Silver Wings student organization was founded at the University of Omaha. In 1976 the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library replaced the Eppley Library.
Academics
UNO is classified as a doctoral/research university in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. UNO is the home of the Peter Kiewit Institute a $70 million state-of-the-art computer science facility and engineering facility, giving the university one of the premier computer science, management information systems (MIS) and bioinformatics programs in the region. PKI houses UNO's College of Information Science and Technology, UNL's College of Engineering and Technology, and the Holland Computing Center, which houses the Firefly supercomputer. The College of Information Science and Technology offers undergraduate/graduate degrees in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Bioinformatics (graduate degree offered in collaboration with UNMC's Pathology's graduate program), Information Assurance, and Information Technology Innovation. In 2002, UNO became the first university in Nebraska to offer an ABET accredited computer science degree and the only university in the state with an ABET accredited information systems program.
UNO's School of Public Administration [1] is a national leader in public service education, with five of its programs ranked in the nation's top 25 by U.S. News & World Report [2]. The school offers a nationally-ranked Master of Public Administration degree [3] that is also offered online [4].
UNO's Division of Continuing Studies, which offers the Bachelor of General Studies, is ranked in the nation's top 20 Best Online Bachelor's Programs by U.S. News & World Report for 2013 and 2014.
The College of Business Administration's Master of Business Administration students ranked in the top 5% nationally, while the undergraduate students ranked in the top 15% on a 2007 standardized exam on business topics conducted by the Educational Testing Service.
UNO maintains a widely regarded online film journal called the Journal of Religion and Film.
Modern campus
The University of Nebraska Omaha is located in midtown Omaha, with a campus separated in two by Elmwood Park (The campus north of Elmwood is referred to as 'North Campus' and the campus south of Elmwood as 'South Campus'). UNO also operates the Kaneko-UNO Library, at 12th and Jones streets in downtown Omaha, and focuses on and offering research scientists, business leaders, teachers, visual artists, and students access to resources and materials not in their day-to-day environment.
North Campus
The North Campus is the largest and primary campus for the University of Nebraska Omaha. The following colleges and their associated facilities are located on the North Campus:
Additionally, the North Campus is also the home to the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library, the Strauss Performing Arts Center, the UNO Art Gallery, and the Black Box Theater, a state-of-the-art facility with mobile seating units that allow a customizable and trans-formative space.
University Village and Maverick Village student housing complexes, each composed of multiple buildings, are spread across the western edge of the North Campus, and additional housing is present on South Campus.
The HPER (Health, Physical Education, and Recreation) building is a recently renovated complex that houses the Athletic Department for the Division I Omaha Mavericks as well as student fitness areas. Attached is the Sapp Field House and Al F. Caniglia Field. The Pep Bowl is located near Caniglia Field.
Pacific Campus
The Pacific Campus (formerly South Campus) houses the primary facilities for the College of Business Administration and the College of Information Science and Technology, which includes the Peter Kiewit Institute, the Charles W. Durham School of Architectural Engineering, and the Firefly supercomputer. The Scott Technology Center incubator, which aims to assist start-up enterprises, is also located on the Pacific Campus. The Scott Data Center and Scott Conference Center are other features of Pacific Campus.
Additional on-campus housing is provided on the Pacific Campus via Scott Hall, and the multiple units which comprise Scott Village and Scott Court. UNO plans to expand the Pacific Campus via Aksarben Village. UNO has also recently purchased property south of Center Street, with possible intentions of developing further on-campus housing and for on-campus athletic facilities.
On June 3, 2015, it was announced that the new athletic arena will be named Baxter Arena.
Athletics
Nebraska-Omaha's sports teams, branded as "Omaha", have been nicknamed the Mavericks since 1971. In 2011, 13 of the 16 sports that the university then sponsored moved from NCAA Division II to Division I and The Summit League. The exceptions were men's ice hockey, which already competed in Division I; and football and wrestling, both of which UNO dropped. Wrestling had been the school's most successful sport with national championships in 1991, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Omaha men's ice hockey team, the state's only Division I ice hockey program, became charter members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2011 with play beginning in the 2013-14 season, following a major conference realignment. Previously, Omaha had been in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association since 2010-11. Omaha added teams in men's golf and men's soccer in 2011.
Men's sports at UNO include tennis, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf and hockey. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and volleyball. The women's softball team won the Women's College World Series national championship in 1975 as a member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women .
Greek life
Fraternitites:
- Pi Kappa Alpha
- Sigma Phi Epsilon
- Theta Chi
- Lambda Chi Alpha
Sororities:
- Chi Omega
- Alpha Xi Delta
- Sigma Kappa
- Zeta Tau Alpha
Media
KVNO 90.7 FM is produced and broadcast from UNO's North Campus. The station's format is primarily classical music, although approximately 10% of its broadcast time is devoted to athletic and campus events. MavRadio (HD FM 90.7-2) is a student produced college/indie station also produced and broadcast from UNO's North Campus. The Gateway is the school's student newspaper, published bi-weekly during the spring and fall academic semesters.
Administration
As of 2012, the Chancellor of UNO is John Christensen, Ph.D., the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs is B.J. Reed, Ph.D., and the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance is Bill Conley, MBA.
The deans are:
- College of Arts and Sciences - J. David Boocker, Ph.D.
- College of Business Administration - Louis G. Pol, Ph.D.
- College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media - Gail F. Baker, Ph.D.
- College of Education - Nancy A. Edick, Ed. D.
- College of Information Science and Technology - Hesham H. Ali, Ph.D.
- College of Public Affairs and Community Service - John Bartle, Ph.D.
- Criss Library - Stephen R. Shorb.
- Graduate Studies - Deborah S. Smith-Howell, Ph.D.
- International Studies and Programs - Thomas E. Gouttierre.
Fight song
Composer, Dr. James Saker
Alma mater
And the chimes ring out for Omaha, Bidding welcome old and new To our Alma Mater, Nebraska Omaha This city's great Nebraska U! We will lift our voice, pledging loyalty,
For our thoughts and memories Are fond and true Voices loud and strong, Sing our praise and gratefulness To Omaha Nebraska U!
Hail to you, Omaha Nebraska U!
Notable people
Notable alumni
- Charles J. Adams, United States Air Force Brigadier General
- Karrin Allyson, Grammy Award-winning American jazz vocalist
- Erin Belieu, poet
- Jason Brilz, mixed-martial artist who fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Tyler Cloyd, pitcher for Cleveland Indians
- Abbie Cornett, politician
- Russell C. Davis, United States Air Force Lieutenant General
- Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen, Medal of Honor recipient
- Roger Donlon, Medal of Honor recipient
- Harold Dow, CBS News correspondent and investigative reporter
- Jake Ellenberger, NCAA D-II All-American wrestler; professional Mixed Martial Artist, Welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Dan Ellis, current goaltender for the Florida Panthers and the 60th overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
- Dick Fletcher, Emmy Award-winning television meteorologist
- Peter Fonda, actor, attended Omaha University, but did not complete his degree
- James W. Fous, Medal of Honor recipient, attended but enlisted in the Army and Killed in Action before completing his Business degree
- Laurie S. Fulton, American attorney and former United States Ambassador to Denmark
- Mike Gabinet, current ice hockey assistant head coach at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and the 237th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
- Chuck Hagel, U.S. Senator, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
- James H. Kasler, Korean War Flying ace, only person to date awarded the Air Force Cross (United States) three times
- Ree Kaneko, artist
- Jeff Koterba, Editorial Cartoonist, Omaha World Herald
- Michael S. Kudlacz, United States Air Force Major General
- James J. Lindsay, United States Army General
- Zach Miller, current NFL tight-end for the Chicago Bears and the 180th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
- Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes attended UNO, but did not complete his degree
- Scott Parse, former NHL wing and the 174th overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
- Penny Sackett, Astronomer, Chief Scientist of Australia
- Dorothy Hayes Sater, journalist, early television reporter
- Carol Schrader, Omaha news anchor and celebrity
- Gerald Theunissen, banker in Jennings, Louisiana, who served from 1992-2008 in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature
- Leo Thorsness, Medal of Honor Recipient
- Jack L. Treadwell, Medal of Honor Recipient
- Vicki Trickett, actress
- William W. Utts, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Died of Wounds in Vietnam
- James Warren, Tuskegee Airman, survived the Freeman Field Mutiny, Congressional Gold Medal recipient
- Leslie J. Westberg, United States Air Force Brigadier General
- Colleen Williams, television reporter
- Johnnie E. Wilson, United States Army General
- James R. Young, Chairman and President of Union Pacific Railroad.
- Greg Zanon, current captain for the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the 156th overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
- Greg Zuerlein, kicker for the St. Louis Rams
- Andrej ?ustr, defenceman for the Tampa Bay Lightning
Notable faculty
- W. Meredith Bacon, political scientist
- Jeremy Castro Baguyos, musician-researcher
- Wanda Ewing, artist
- Bruce E. Johansen, journalist, author
- Josie Metal-Corbin, professor, dancer, choreographer,and director of The Moving Company
- Anna Monardo, novelist
- Richard Robbins (poet), poet
- Z. Randall Stroope, composer, conductor
- Shaista Wahab, librarian, author
- Mary E. Williamson, WASP, public relations, communications professor
See also
- Education in North Omaha, Nebraska
- The Nebraska Review
- Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library
References
Additional reading
- Oliver B. Pollak and Les Valentine, University of Nebraska at Omaha: The Campus History Series (Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2007).
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website
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