March 1, 1952

OU Fieldhouse hosts finals and consolation finals of first worldwide Air Force basketball playoffs concluding eight-team tournament that began at Offutt Field, with the two games being broadcast by tape over Armed Forces Radio

March 2, 1991

UNO and Coach Mike Denney win NCAA Division II wrestling national championship

The former Redick Hall burns to ashes. Omaha University's first home, Redick Hall had been taken apart then used to construct a pavilion on an island in Minnesota.

March 3, 1936

Harrison PTA hears OU President Rowland Haynes speak on "Home Influence on School Life."

March 3, 1939

Sudeten German Dr. Carl W. Deutsch lectures on campus about "The New Order in Central Europe" as the second speaker in the Institute of International Understanding sponsored by the Omaha Rotary Club. Deutsch was barred from Czechoslovakia because of his association with anti-Nazi movements.

March 3, 1961

Nebraska Gov. Frank Morrison  attends 10th annual AFROTC Military Ball at Peony Park.

March 3, 1975

Stanford University Professor William Shockley and Roy Innis, executive director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) debate race and intelligence.

March 4, 1968

Presidential Candidate George Wallace visits Dr. Richard Marvel’s political science class

March 4, 1973

UNO graduates Leo Thorsness (1964), James Hughes (1960) and James Kasler released after nearly six years as Vietnam War POWs, including time in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Thorsness, a pilot,  was shot down April 30, 1967, on his 93rd mission, seven shy of completing his tour. He wrote an account of his time as a POW in "Surviving Hell: A POW's Journey." Thorsness was awarded the nation's highest honor — the Congressional Medal of Honor — during his captivity, though the award wasn't announced until after his release. He is among four UNO graduates to have received the Medal of Honor, along with Jack L. Treadwell (1963), Merlyn H. Dethlefsen (1965) and Roger Donlon (1967). Hughes, also a pilot, was shot down in an F-105 on May 5, 1967. See a UNO Alum story on Hughes published in July 2002. Kasler, a 1963 UNO grad, is the only man to receive the Air Force Cross three times. He was promoted by Time as America’s top jet ace — four days after he had been shot down and captured by the Viet Cong. He was a POW until his release in 1973.

March 5, 1930

Eighth graders from Franklin School present to OU social studies students their findings on the life and works of Longfellow

March 5, 1945

Nebraska Tuberculosis Society shows students a film on tuberculosis, the No. 1 cause of death among college-age persons, and offers a tuberculosis skin test

March 5, 1978

Lambda Chi Alpha sponsors Easter Seals Disco-Dance-a-thon at Pogo's.

March 6, 1952

Arkansas Senator J.W. Fulbright begins two-days of speeches on the cold war and reasons for the lack of a foreign policy in the United States, via the Baxter Memorial Lecture Series

March 6, 1969

OU hosts NAIA national wrestling tournament

March 7, 1950

Pulitzer Prize recipient and author Louis Bromfield speaks at special convocation on “What the New Agriculture Means To All Of You.”

March 7, 1975

Watergate figure John Dean speaks at Civic Auditorium on behalf of UNO’s Student Programming Organization

March 8, 1947

Athletic Director Virg Yelkin leaves on two-week tour of university fieldhouses in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa in preparation of building own fieldhouse

March 9, 1960

Noted author and scholar Dr. Carl Swisher discusses public criticism of the U.S. Supreme Court as the first speaker of the 1960 American Heritage lecture series.

March 9, 1964

Sir Tyrone Guthrie speaks on "Shakespeare and the Theater." Guthrie, referred to by the Gateway as being "regarded in the theater world as the most outstanding producer in the world today" was a director of the Old Vic Theater in London.

March 9, 1973

John Prine, Grammy nominee for Outstanding New Artist of the Year, and Bonnie Raitt perform in Milo Bail Student Center.

March 9, 1980

World-renowned classical guitarist Neil Archer Roan performs in Strauss Performing Arts Center.

March 10, 1993

Al Gore speaks in fine arts building to promote Clinton administration initiatives

March 11, 1947

22 Catholic students meet to organize a Newman Club Federation

March 11, 1954

Iranian statesman Nasarollah Saifpour Fatemi, advisor to the permanent delegation of Iran to the United Nations, speaks at OU Town and Gown dinner.

March 11, 1973

UNO Performing Arts Center (now Willis & Janet Strauss PAC) dedicated

March 11, 1975

Royal Shakespeare Company from Stratford-on-Avon begins week-long workshops on campus

March 12, 1935

Faculty committee votes to ban smoking in all OU buildings

March 12, 1971

Seals and Crofts perform for UNO’s Student Programming Organization, at Civic Auditorium.

March 13, 1959

Cornerstones set for Applied Arts and Student Activities Buildings

March 13, 1964

Nebraska Gov. Frank Morrison is guest speaker for annual Greek Week Banquet in student Center ballroom, addressing "the fraternal system in America today," 1964

March 13, 1974

Two female streakers run through Arts & Sciences Hall.

March 13, 1977

Horror film star Vincent Price gives talk, "The Villains Still Pursue Me," in Milo Bail Student Center as part of SPO/KVNO Fine Arts Series. More than 900 people attend.

March 14, 1970

UNO wins NAIA national wrestling championship.

March 15, 1929

College of Commerce Club holds election for awards including “Best Roller Skater,” “Most ‘It’,” “Worst Flirt” and “Biggest Bluff."

March 16, 1934

Frank Shelton “Red” Perkins and his Dixie Ramblers a band composed of black musicians, perform at the Kappa Psi Delta sorority formal dance at the Chermot Ballroom. Hear them perform “Hard Times Stomp” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdi6P-E8ivA

March 16, 1945

Alum Joann Mengedoht, sings with San Carlo Opera Company during Omaha performance of “Aida,”

March 16, 1950

OU hosts 1,000 members of the Omaha Safety Congress, which includes representatives of Omaha Police and Fire Departments, Safety Council, State Highway Patrol and Omaha Public Power District.

March 16, 1963

George Crenshaw wins first the university’s first individual wrestling championship, capturing the 167-pound title at the NAIA championships.

March 16, 1979

Singer/songwriter Phoebe Snow (“Poetry Man”) performs in sold-out concert in Milo Bail Student Center.

March 17, 1936

Start of four-day “Charm School” sponsored by Women’s Athletic Association

March 17, 1951

OU sophomore Millicent Wheeler wins $100 music scholarship on  KOIL radio’s “Stepping Stones to Stardom” talent show by singing, “Valley of Laughter.”

March 17, 1971

Pulitzer Prize recipient Arthur Schlesinger Jr. delivers a free public lecture in the student center, sponsored by the Student Programming Organization and Graduate Student Association. Schlesinger previously was a special assistant to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. His book, “A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House,” won the National Book Award for history and biography and the Pulitzer Prize for biography, 1971

March 18, 1924

Armour and Co. General Manager E.S. Waterbury addresses OU students in a talk at chapel. “Omaha owes its present wealth and prosperity to this industry,” he said.

March 18, 1930

OU students hear speech by Princess Ataloa, Indian princess of the Chicksaw tribe and a teacher at Bacone College in Oklahoma, the only Native American college of higher education in the United States.

March 18, 1977

"Roots" author Alex Haley talks on "In Retrospect and Perspective" in UNO Fieldhouse, sponsored by UNO Black Women. Admission is $1. A crowd of about 4,000 shows.

March 19, 1962

President John F. Kennedy's press secretary, Pierre Salinger, speaks at Tele-Lecture series live from Washington, D.C., to OU and Stevens College (Mo.) students.

March 19, 1973

Arthur C. Clarke, author of "2001: A Space Odyssey," speaks in Milo Bail Student Center on "Futurism"

March 19, 1977

Internationally renown classical guitarist Miguel Rubio performs in Strauss Performing Arts Recital Hall. He also conducts master classes and lecture demonstrations during a five-day stay.

March 19, 1977

Former Denver Broncos Coach John Ralston (1972-76) speaks at UNO for a coaching clinic.

March 20, 1929

“Hello Day” debuts. All faculty and staff to greet each other with a hearty “hello,”

March 21, 1980

HPER Building dedicated

March 22, 1939

OU Library designated a depository for all government documents issued through office of the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C., making it the only complete government document depository library in the state

March 22, 1950

Noted American modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham visits Joslyn Memorial Auditorium under university sponsorship. Touted as "the foremost figure in the world of dancing and mistress of the solo dance," she appeared with her company, including noted dancer Erick Hawkins. Her performance attracted more than 1,000 Omahans. She apologized for the cast "holding back" because of Joslyn's slick floor.

March 22, 1966

KYNE-TV tower dedicated

A massive tornado rips through Omaha on Easter Sunday, killing nearly 100 people and devastating the city with millions of dollars of damage and more than 2,000 houses destroyed. The tornado passed five blocks from Omaha University but left it untouched. OU freshman Samuel Slotky earns praise for his actions after the tornado, running miles to notify the soldiers at Fort Omaha of the devastation and asking for their help

March 23, 1935

Pearl Schaefer, student and secretary to OU Extension Director E.M. Hosman, flies to Kansas City to invite Mayor Bryce Smith and the people of Kansas City to the National Flower and Garden show held in Omaha March 30-April 6. She carries with her greetings from Omaha Mayor Roy Towl.

March 23, 1944

Owen Lattimore, political advisor to Chiang Kai-Sheck since 1941 and far east authority, speaks for two days on “America and Japan” at William F. Baxter lecture series

March 23, 1950

Tuskegee Institute business manager L.H. Foster visits OU, speaks to 10 students in faculty club room about Tuskegee operations

March 24, 1950

Major General Carl Gray, veteran of two world wars and chief of the Veterans Administration, speaks at third annual Greek Week

March 24, 1962

Former Nebraska Gov. Robert Crosby among the guest speakers at the second annual Nebraska Tooling Conference held at OU.

March 24, 1975

American operatic soprano Beverly Sills visits campus.

Pope John Paul II visits the UNO-led Bethsaida Excavations site. University of Nebraska Regent and UNO graduate Nancy O'Brien and International Studies Dean Tom Gouttierre were among seven people who gave gifts to him then, including a replica of an iron key unearthed at the Bethsaida dig, two volumes of site research and a drawing of an ancient cross that was discovered on a pottery shard. The key holds particular significance for the pope because Bethsaida is the home of Peter, the first pope, and of Andrew and Phillip, two of Jesus' other disciples. See more.

March 25, 1927

OU students face Northwestern University in debate on Prohibition. OU students took the “dry” position.

March 25, 1943

Beardsley Ruml, chairman of the Federal Reserve bank of New York and treasurer of Macy department store, and author of “pay-as-you" go income tax plan, speaks for two days at William F. Baxter lecture series

Robert Palmer performs in student center for concert sponsored by Student Programming Organization. "Several hundred" attend.

March 25, 1996

UNO Alum Mike Hill, with Daniel Hanley, wins an Academy Award for Best Film Editing on "Apollo 13." See video of him receiving the award at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJDofgNk7Lc

March 26, 1930

Mayor Richard Metcalfe speaks to all students and faculty at rally for Municipal University of Omaha.

March 27, 1947

Aouney W. Dejany of the Washington Arab Office speaks at the university's Foreign Affairs Institute, speaking on Palestine.

March 27, 1950

OU students Bob Cain, Kathryn Loukas and Conrad Bader appear on WOW-TV program “Charades."

March 28, 1923

Sarah Joslyn donates $30,000.

March  28, 1924

Robert Bagnall, branchy director with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, speaks on lynchings and race

March 28, 1929

University Club presents Dr. Glibitch of the University of Oslo, Norway, at a public dinner held at The Club. Glibitch was on her way to the biannual convention of the International Federation of University Women at New Orleans, of which she is president.

March 28, 1941

Students at convocation watch Technicolor movie of Nebraska-Stanford Rose Bowl game, films taken by H.M. Chenoweth, father of freshman student Jeanne Chenoweth

March 28, 1956

Ten o'clock classes dismissed for University Choir's Easter presentation of Heinrich Schultz's "The Seven Last Words"

March 28, 2002

Primate researcher Jane Goodall speaks to crowd of 600 in Milo Bail Student Center

March 29, 1933

“Faculty Five” defeat “Janitor’s Express 18-16 in exhibition basketball game

March  29, 1955

Cornerstone laid for Eppley Library — now Eppley Administration Building

March 30, 1927

OU students face their counterparts from the University of Wyoming in a debate on amending the 18th Amendment to permit the sale of light wines and beer. OU argued in the negative.

March  31, 1948

Phi Eta Sigma first national fraternity installed on OU campus