GRAND ISLAND — For nearly half of the Nebraska State Fair’s 100-year history in Lincoln, World-Herald roving reporter Tom Allan covered its blue ribbon winners, its hog and cattle shows, its pie contests and quilt displays.
Allan died in 2003 at age 84, after working 54 years for The World-Herald. The fair now has been moved to Grand Island from its historic location in Lincoln. But the Fair Board has assured that Allan’s legacy will continue by naming the fair’s new media center in his honor.
The fair moved to Grand Island to make way for a University of Nebraska research park at its former Lincoln site. The media center is part of $42 million of new facilities built to house the fair near Grand Island’s Fonner Park race track. Along with news reporters and photographers, the center houses fair staff who run new big screen video showing live competitions from the livestock arenas.
Fair Board Chairman Sallie Atkins of Halsey said the board wanted to pay tribute to Allan’s passion for the fair.
“Tom Allan was the voice of the Nebraska State Fair for all of us,” Atkins said. “I live out in the Sand Hills of Nebraska, where Tom Allan spent a lot of time. We knew about the State Fair through Tom Allan. He instilled a love of the fair in all of us, by telling the story through The Omaha World-Herald.”
Allan’s real estate developer son, Tam, now serves on the Fair Board. He was instrumental in the development of the Grand Island fairgrounds.
Other Fair Board members kept secret from him their plans to honor his father.
The younger Allan — who said he grew up tagging along with his dad at the fair — said it was a total surprise when he saw the large portrait of his grinning father, holding a large midway teddy bear, hanging in the new center.
Fellow board members also surprised him by arranging for his sister, Mary Miller of Denver, to attend the fair’s grand opening Friday. Miller also went to the fair with her dad, earning her way by serving as his assistant in tracking hog show results.
“What better role model for every reporter coming through that door to have the same passion for covering the fair that Tom Allan had,” said Atkins. “He showed how important it is to be passionate about what you do. I don’t think he regarded what he did as work.”
Contact the writer: 402-473-9581, leslie.reed@owh.com
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