Previous Midlander of the Year honorees

2008: Don Smithey

2007: Connie Spellman

2006: Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke

2005: U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel

2004: Dr. Harold Maurer

2003: Gary E. Moulton

2002: Charles W. “Chuck” Durham

2001: Military personnel

2000: Walter Scott Jr.

1999: Volunteers

1998: Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad

1997: Tom and Nancy Osborne

1996: U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon

1995: Lied Foundation and its trustee, Christina Hixson

1994: Jack Diesing Sr. and Jack Diesing Jr.

1993: Teachers

1992: Foster care families

1991: Dr. Lee Simmons

1990: Men and women in Operation Desert Shield

1989: Harold W. Andersen

1988: U.S. Sen.-elect Bob Kerrey

1987: Northwestern Bell President Jan Stoney

1986: Kay Orr and Helen Boosalis

1985: State Sen. Jerome Warner

1984: Families of the Land

1983: Nebraska football players Irving Fryar, Turner Gill, Mike Rozier, Mark Schellen

1982: UNL Chancellor Martin A. Massengale

1981: Eugene T. Mahoney

1980: Builder Peter Kiewit and Creighton President Carl M. Reinert

1979: Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne

1978: Nebraska Sen. J.J. Exon and Iowa Gov. Robert Ray

1977: Year of the Educator: Omaha Superintendent of Schools Owen Knutzen, classroom teacher Sammye Jackson, Creighton President Joseph Labaj and UNO Chancellor Ronald Roskens

1976: University of Nebraska President D.B. Varner

1975: Year of All the People: survivors of drought, blizzards and the Omaha tornado

1974: Nebraska Gov. J.J. Exon

1973: Educator Anne Campbell and Omaha Councilwoman Betty Abbott

1972: Omaha Mayor Eugene Leahy

1971: Environmentalists James Malkowski and Deanie Anderson

1970: Nebraska football coach Bob Devaney

1969: Youth of the Midlands

1968: Clifford Hardin, NU chancellor and U.S. secretary of agriculture-designate

1967: Nebraska Gov. Norbert Tiemann

1966: Midlands farmers

1965: Omaha Mayor A.V. Sorensen

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