Where should a history of a new organization begin?  The answer is with the idea.  Where did the idea for a Hall of Fame come from?  Who were the contributors to this dream?  To answer these questions we first look at two groups of people.

One of the groups contributing to the idea of having a Sports Hall of Fame in Nebraska was a group of interested persons from Gothenburg.  One day (in July of 1990) several members of the Gothenburg Rotary Club (following their weekly meeting) had a discussion outside the Swede Café …. “Wouldn’t it be great to have a high school sports hall of fame?”  That conversation included several individuals, including three future members (Steve Windrum, Ted Rowan, and Roger Neujahr) of the Board of Directors of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.

            At about the same time, the Nebraska School Activities Association (N.S.A.A.) Board of Control had been discussing the potential of creating a Hall of Fame.  Dennis Smith, Board of Control Member from District II, initiated discussion on preserving the history of athletics in Nebraska.  In the late 1980’s, he attended a number of meetings and workshops dealing with the creation of Halls of Fame.  At the N.S.A.A. Board of Control Meeting on February 8, 1991, a vote (6-0) was taken to create a committee to pursue the feasibility of establishing a Hall of Fame.

After reading the N.S.A.A. Board Minutes reporting the establishment of this Hall of Fame Committee, Roger Neujahr, Gothenburg Activities Director, called Dennis Smith; Roger indicated to Dennis that a group of people in Gothenburg had been working for about a year to bring an Athletic Hall of Fame there.  That conversation led to the first of several meetings between the N.S.A.A. Committee (Dennis Smith, Conde Sargent, Jim Riley, and others) and those Hall of Fame organizers from Gothenburg.

            The first official meeting (when Minutes were kept) of the two groups was held on September 12, 1991, at the N.S.A.A. Office in Lincoln.  This meeting was for discussion purposes only; no decisions or votes were taken.  The committee then met in Gothenburg on October 10, 1991.  The Gothenburg Committee presented to the Hall of Fame Committee a comprehensive look at the planning that had been taking place there over the past year.  The Hall of Fame Committee was so favorably impressed with the commitment of the Gothenburg Committee, that at the subsequent November 25, 1991, meeting, the eight Hall of Fame Committee Members unanimously approved a motion to place the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame in Gothenburg.  The N.S.A.A. Board of Control on December 13, 1991, (by a 6-0 vote) also endorsed Gothenburg as the future site of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.
 

            The initial idea (the Gothenburg promoters had) was to link the Pony Express in Gothenburg and the Hall Of Fame together at the same site.  Over the course of the next several years, however, it became apparent that sufficient support could not be generated in the community of Gothenburg to have the Hall of Fame and the Pony Express located at the same site.  Therefore, the Hall of Fame Board of Directors later (in 1997) decided that Lincoln would replace Gothenburg as the site of a future Hall of Fame Facility.

Organization of a decision making body for the Hall of Fame began in June of 1992, when letters were mailed to a number of Nebraskans asking them to serve on the Hall of Fame Board.  The original Board would eventually have eighteen Directors (see next paragraph).  On July 30, 1993, Articles of Incorporation for the Hall of Fame were prepared by Steve Windum, a Gothenburg attorney and the first Hall of Fame President.  Following the filing of the Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State, this new organization would officially be known as the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation.  The first meeting following the creation of this Non-Profit Corporation took place on August 27, 1993, in Lincoln.

The original Directors were:  Conde Sargent (Lincoln), Steve Johnsen (Lincoln), Chuck Jura (Columbus), Dennis Smith (Papillion), Jerry Neely (Norfolk),Bill Shoemaker (Cambridge), Hoppy McCue (Alma), Bill Madden (Scottsbluff), Ken Fischer (Lincoln), Tom Mihane (Scottsbluff), Jerry Mathers (McCool Junction),Buck Mahoney (Kearney), Dick Thompson (North Platte), Roger Neujahr (Gothenburg), Ted Rowan (Gothenburg), Jack Hallstrom (Omaha), Steve Windrum (Gothenburg), and Carol Frost (Wood River).

Leadership of any organization is extremely important.  The Hall of Fame is very fortunate to have had several outstanding leaders; the following have served as President of the Board of Directors.  The first President, selected in 1993, was Steve Windrum, from Gothenburg; Duane Haith, from Omaha, took over the helm in 1996.  Bob Whitehouse, also from Omaha, became President in 2000; Wally McNaught, from Lincoln, presided over the Board beginning in 2005; and Bob Whitehouse resumed his role as President in 2007.

In those early years, as the Hall of Fame became organized, many decisions had to be made.  One was to establish the criteria for individuals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  See the brochure of the Hall of Fame, which includes that criteria.  Another decision to be made was the adoption of a Hall of Fame Slogan; “Honoring Our Past to Inspire the Future” was ultimately selected.  Over time, legal issues had to be dealt with.  The Foundation has been very fortunate that Britt Ehlers, a Lincoln attorney, has served as legal counsel on many issues for the Hall of Fame.  That counsel has included advice on non-profit status, liability protection, proper wording in the contract with the N.S.A.A. concerning the new facility, and many other items.

             The first class of Hall of Fame Inductees was picked by the Selection Committee and approved at the February 7, 1994, Board Meeting in Gothenburg.  The Class of 1994 included Contributor Gregg McBride, Coaches Skip Palrang, Ed Johnson, and Dutch Zorn, Pioneers Grover Cleveland Alexander, Niles Kinnick, and Ed Weir, and Athletes Bob Gibson, Nancy Kindig, Tom Osborne, Johnny Rodgers, and Julie Vollertsen.  These individuals and others were honored at the Great Hall of the Lincoln Train Station on Friday, September 23, 1994.

            The first six Classes (1994 through 1999) had ceremonies at the Great Hall of the Lincoln Train Station; those events included a full banquet dinner prior to the Induction Ceremony.  From 2000 to the present, the site changed to the Lied Center for the Performing Arts with a “Dessert Buffet Social Hour” preceding the Induction.

            In 2001, the Board of Directors created the officer post of Executive Director.  This part-time position (which is more full time than part time) is currently filled by Dick Beechner from Kearney.  Beechner, who had been a Board Member beginning in 2000, was unanimously approved as the first Executive Director of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation at the February 21, 2002, Board Meeting.

            The Hall of Fame has several Standing Committees which do much of the work of the organization.  Those Committees include:  The Executive Committee (composed of the Hall Of Fame Officers), the Induction Ceremony Committee, the Selection Committee, the Fund Raising & Finance Committee, the Public Relations Committee, the Nominations Committee, the Memorabilia Committee, the Newsletter Committee, and the position of Historian.  See List of Current Members on each of these Committees.

            The Hall of Fame has four regular Board Meetings each year.  Since Board and Officer Terms of Office begin and end with the meeting in September, we will refer to it as the first meeting of the year.  That meeting is held in Lincoln at the Lied Center in the morning prior to the Induction Ceremony; it is usually held on the last Sunday in September.  The second meeting of the year, which is held in York at the Cornerstone Bank (5^th Floor), takes place on the first Monday in December.  The February Meeting is held on the Wednesday prior to the State Wrestling Tournament; that meeting is in Lincoln; the Highlands Golf Course has been the site of this meeting for many years.  The fourth Board Meeting is held in May in Omaha on the Thursday before the State Track Meet; the site used for the 2007 meeting was Burke High School.

            One of the ways the Hall of Fame keeps Nebraska updated on its activities is through a twice a year Foundation Newsletter.  Buck Mahoney from Kearney is in charge of the publication of the Hall of Fame Newsletter.

            The Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation also has a web site.  It lists the Current Officers, the Current Board of Directors, the most recent Class of Inductees and Honorees, how to nominate an individual, and much more.  Conde Sargent, who has retired to Taylors, South Carolina, is in charge of the Hall of Fame web site (www.nebhalloffame.org/).

            One unique Member of the initial Board of Directors was Jerry Mathers.  Being the author of a book entitled, “Nebraska High School Sports” (2^nd edition), made him a natural; his book dealt with the history of athletics in Nebraska from the 1890’s through the 1979-1980 school year.  Mathers had also prepared documents to be included in a subsequent book that would take the History of Nebraska Sports through the 1999-2000 school year.  That 3^rd edition was never published (for a variety of reasons).  Jerry Mathers died in 2003.  Following his death, the Hall of Fame acquired Mather’s manuscripts about Nebraska athletics for the last two decades of the twentieth century.  Hopefully, this 3^rd edition will some day be published.  Jerry Mathers’ knowledge (while he was living) and his printed research (following his death) have been tremendous aids in helping to select each group of Nebraska Hall of Famers.

            Since the early 1990’s, the Board of Directors has had a dream that a Hall of Fame Exhibit Hall would some day be built.  As a part of that dream, the Board was also hopeful that some day that the Hall of Fame, the Nebraska School Activities Association, and the Nebraska Coaches Association (N.C.A.) could all operate under one roof.  Both of those dreams became a reality in the spring of 2006 when Hall of Fame Board of Directors accepted the N.S.A.A. invitation to join the N.S.A.A. (and the N.C.A.) in their new facility.  The Hall of Fame Board of Directors extends a big “Thank You” to Dr. Jim Tenopir and the N.S.A.A. Board of Control for their willingness to include the Hall of Fame in their new building.  Construction on this new structure, which is located in the Haymarket Ballpark Area just north of the Baseball and Softball Complex, began in 2007.  The N.S.A.A. Offices are scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2008.  The exterior of the Exhibit Hall for the Hall Of Fame should be completed at the same time, with interior furnishings to be added in future months.

            Creating an attractive and quality Exhibit Hall will require substantial funding.  A major fund raising project (which will be launched in the early months of 2008) will need to raise approximately $1.5 million.  Many Nebraska Sports Fans will need to be extremely generous for the Hall of Fame Exhibit to be something that we all can be truly proud of.  Further information will be added here upon completion of the fund drive.

NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HALL OF FAME

OFFICERS & BOARD OF DIRECTORS HISTORY

MOST RECENT UPDATE – FEBRUARY 15, 2008
TERM OF OFFICE - OFFICER TERMS AND BOARD MEMBER TERMS BEGIN

AND END WITH THE SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING.

CURRENT OFFICERS -EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - DICK BEECHNER

                  PRESIDENT  - - - - - BOB WHITEHOUSE

                  VICE PRESIDENT - - - JACK GUGGENMOS

                  SECRETARY  - - - - - NANCY BECKER

                  TREASURER  - - - - - DENNIS SMITH

OFFICERS TENURE - CURRENT & FORMER

   EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - DICK BEECHNER - 2002 - PRESENT

     (THIS POSITION WAS CREATED IN 2001 AND FIRST FILLED IN 2002)

   PRESIDENT  - - - STEVE WINDRUM - - - 1993 - 1996

                    DUANE HAITH - - - - 1996 - 2000

                    BOB WHITEHOUSE  - - 2000 - 2005

                    WALLY MCNAUGHT  - - 2005 – 2007

                    BOB WHITEHOUSE  - - 2007 - PRESENT

   VICE PRESIDENT - BILL SHOEMAKER  - - 1993 - 1995

                    JACK HALLSTROM  - - 1995 - 1999

                    BOB WHITEHOUSE  - - 1999 - 2000

                    DUANE HAITH - - - - 2000 - 2003

                    WALLY MCNAUGHT  - - 2003 - 2005

                    STEVE SHANAHAN  - - 2005 – 2007

                    JACK GUGGENMOS  - - 2007 - PRESENT

   SECRETARY  - - - ROGER NEUJAHR - - - 1993 - 1996

                    STEVE SHANAHAN  - - 1996 - 2005

                    NANCY BECKER  - - - 2005 - PRESENT

   TREASURER  - - - ROGER NEUJAHR - - - 1993 - 1996

                    DENNIS SMITH  - - - 1996 - PRESENT

   NOTE - FROM 1993 TO 1996, THE OFFICES OF SECRETARY & TREASURER WERE COMBINED INTO ONE POSITION; IN 1996 THEY WERE SEPARATED, CREATING TWO OFFICERS.

NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HALL OF FAME

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CURRENT HALL OF FAME BOARD MEMBERS

NAME            TERM EXPIRES YEARS SERVED

KEN FISCHER  *        2010  1993 - PRESENT

BUCK MAHONEY *        2009  1993 - PRESENT

ROGER NEUJAHR  *      2008  1993 - PRESENT

CONDE SARGENT  *      2008  1993 - PRESENT

DENNIS SMITH *        2009  1993 - PRESENT

RANDY CORDES          2010  1995 - PRESENT

BOB WHITEHOUSE        2009  1995 - PRESENT

JIM PAIGE             2009  1995 - PRESENT

DUANE HAITH           2009  1995 - PRESENT

SANDY PILFOLD         2009  1995 - PRESENT

RAY EHLERS            2010  1996 - PRESENT

GENE HAYNES           2008  1996 - PRESENT

ROGER SAYERS          2008  1996 - PRESENT

JERRY STINE           2010  1996 - PRESENT

WALLY MCNAUGHT        2009  1997 - PRESENT

ROGER BARRY           2008  1998 - PRESENT

SUE (SOKOLL)WILCOXSON 2010 1999 - PRESENT

DEL SCHOENFISH       2009    1999 – PRESENT

ALDIE JOHNSON        2010    1999 – PRESENT

BUCK EDWARDS         2010    1999 – PRESENT

AL PAPIK             2008    1999 - PRESENT

JACK GUGGENMOS       2008    2000 - PRESENT

NANCY BECKER         2009    2001 - PRESENT

JO DUSATKO           2010    2002 - PRESENT

DAN MOORE            2009    2004 - PRESENT

DR. PAT SALERNO      2009    2004 - PRESENT

BOB JENSEN           2008    2005 - PRESENT

CHARLES MEYER        2010    2006 - PRESENT

STEVE JOEKEL         2010    2007 - PRESENT

BOB MARTIN           2008   2008 – PRESENT

DAVE VAN METRE       2010    2008 – PRESENT

BOB MARTIN           2008    2008 - PRESENT

BOB DANENHAUER       2008   2008 - PRESENT

NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS TERMS ENDING BY YEAR - 2/15/08

   2008 - 10 - - - - - -  1 VACANCY

   2009 – 11 - - - - - -  0 VACANCY

   2010 – 11 - - - - - -  0 VACANCY

HISTORY OF THE SIZE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

   ORIGINAL BOARD IN 1993 - - - - - - 18 MEMBERS

   BOARD EXPANDED IN 1995 - - - - - - 25 MEMBERS - #

   BOARD EXPANDED IN 1998 - - - - - - 30 MEMBERS - #

   BOARD EXPANDED IN 2007 - - - - - - 33 MEMBERS - #

      # - MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS ALLOWED...

NOTE:  WHEN CHARLES MEYER WAS APPROVED AS A BOARD MEMBER AT THE FEBRUARY 15, 2006, MEETING, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAD ACTUALLY REACHED THIRTY (30) MEMBERS.

NOTE:  WHEN BOB DANENHAUER WAS APPROVED AS A BOARD MEMBER IN 2008 THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAD REACHED THIRTY THREE (33) MEMBERS.

FORMER HALL OF FAME BOARD MEMBERS

* - MEMBER – ORIGINAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NAME                    YEARS SERVED

JERRY NEELY  *             1993 - 1994

STEVE JOHNSEN  *           1993 - 1995

BILL SHOEMAKER  *          1993 - 1995

BILL MADDEN  *             1993 - 1996

TOM MIHANE  *              1993 - 1996

DICK THOMPSON  *           1993 - 1996

TED ROWAN  *               1993 - 1998

STEVE WINDRUM  *           1993 - 1998

CHUCK JURA  *              1993 - 2000

CAROL FROST  *             1993 - 2000

JERRY MATHERS  *           1993 - 2003

JACK HALLSTROM  *          1993 – 2004

HOPPY MCCUE  *             1993 - 2008

TOM MILLSAP                1994 - 1996

GEORGE SHINKER             1994 - 2000

ROY POUNDS                 1995 - 1995

CON MARSHALL               1995 - 1996

BARB WAGNER                1996 - 1996

LARRY MOLLRING             1996 - 2000

STEVE SHANAHAN             1996 - 2007

LINDA CARLSON              1999 - 2000

DICK BEECHNER              2000 - 2002

DICK DAVIS                 2000 - 2003

STEVE ERWIN                2002 – 2003