Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments help to recognize people and events that have influenced the writing of this 50-year history of the College of Business Administration.
Accreditation of the college received the highest priority of Dean Lucas and his faculty but always in terms of a first-rate accreditation for a college that offered a full range of academic specializations. Accreditation might have come sooner had the faculty been willing to trim course offerings to ones taught by terminally qualified faculty. The maintenance of the fuller scope of specializations slowed the accreditation process to the speed that terminally qualified faculty could be hired and existing faculty could complete their doctoral programs. However, when accreditation materialized, it encompassed a college with a full range of academic specialties. The twin values of quality and breadth guided the faculty at all times.
Developing this fifty-year history combined personal memory along with a series of interviews with selected faculty and staff whose knowledge of events and people provided additional insights regarding development of the college.
The memory part of developing the history has more basis than personal experiences. Throughout my career at UNO I was privileged to associate with faculty members whose valuable contributions to both the University and the College continue to leave a legacy. Here are the names of just a few of the faculty and how associating with them influenced the tone of this writing.
Paul Stageman, Chemistry Department. Paul gave me insights into the early history of the University since his experience included working at the 24th and Pratt Street location.
Wilfred Payne, Humanities (deceased). His breadth of knowledge and impatience with ineffective results kept many faculty members focused on desiring no less than perfection in their teaching.
Robert Harper, English. Pressure from some leaders in the business community to remove a professor from the staff as a consequence of his unpopular political views lost momentum when Dr. Harper noted that the professor was only exercising his constitutional rights to run for political office. Academic freedom on this campus was further solidified.
Dean John W. Lucas (deceased). It was apparent he sacrificed his personal doctoral program at Ohio State in order to provide a breadth of leadership that extended far beyond the College of Business. Many of his contributions are chronicled in this history.
C. Glenn Lewis, Real Estate (deceased). Glenn became my personal mentor over many years when we shared an office. (During the early years, few faculty members had private offices.) The specifics of his personal influence would require a lengthy treatise. His professional influence continues today within the real estate community of Omaha.
George C. Harris, Finance (deceased). George and I shared an office for a time and adjoining offices for many years. He was a strong personal friend and advisor. During the turmoil within the College following the departure of Dean Heather, George was named acting Dean, and I was assigned to chair a committee with a purpose of bringing more solidity to a divided faculty. George held the college together and gave his replacement a faculty willing to move the college forward.
A series of interviews and personal conversations provided momentum to give both scope and force to this written history:
Willis P. Rokes, Professor of Law and Society (deceased).
Joyce Minteer, Profess of Business Administration.
Judy Benecke, wife of Robert Benecke, faculty member in the Finance Department (deceased).
Del Weber, former Chancellor of UNO.
Virginia Bull, wife of Charles Bull, faculty member of the Marketing Department (deceased).
Stanley Hille, current dean of the College of Business Administration.
Mary Lynn Reiser, Associate Director for Economic Education, CBA.
Larry Trussell, former Dean of CBA and professor of Accounting.
Louis Pol, Associate Dean, CBA.
Barbara Lewis, daughter of John W. Lucas (deceased).
Rod Oberle, Director of Human Resources, UNO.
Rex Engebretsen, former head of Building and Grounds (Instrumental in the design of the College of Business Building).
Nancy Nogg Rauhauser, Assistant Dean, College of Business Administration.
Robert Bernier, Assistant Dean, College of Business Administration; and Director of the Nebraska Business Development Center.
Leslie Valentine, Director of University Archives.
Jack Hill, Professor Emeritus.