Throwback Thursday: Gerald Ford 1977

We'll share a vintage University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) photo each Thursday on our homepage as part of the popular "Throwback Thursday."

Check back each week for a photo celebrating UNO's history, and to learn more about what's happening on campus and in our community, and future plans for the university.

This week's Throwback Thursday photo features the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, during a visit to UNO on September 21, 1977.

The Omaha native visited UNO following the conclusion of his presidency which spanned August 1974 to January 1977.

The university has been a welcoming stop for past and present government officials and foreign dignataries; as well as those who have campaigned on the behalf of others running for office. Read on below for some examples.

Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera

Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera made a surprise visit to the UNO campus in July 2014 as part of a United States trip to meet with his American counterpart, U.S. Secretary of Defense and UNO alumnus Chuck Hagel (’71).

While on campus, Mr. Onodera received a tour and visited Mammel Hall, which housed the STRATCOM Leader Fellowship Program earlier this year. The program, which is a partnership between UNO and the United States Strategic Command, provided graduate-level education and research to a select number of civilian security and defense experts over the course of 15 weeks.

The Maverick spirit followed Japan’s Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera to the Pentagon after his visit to UNO.

In honor of Onodera’s Omaha visit, UNO alum and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel presented his Japanese counterpart Maverick tennis gear at a Pentagon press conference days later to thank him for stopping by his alma mater. Onodera is an avid tennis fan.

You can watch video of the presentation here.

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert

In October 2013, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert attended the Lights On Afterschool event at UNO.

Sponsored by Collective for Youth, the Lights On Afterschool celebration partnered with UNO and many other community organizations.

Every year, Omaha and thousands of communities nationwide celebrate Lights On Afterschool to highlight the afterschool programs that keep our children and youth safe and inspire them to learn. Remarks were made by Heineman, with a proclamation by Stothert, announcement of Lights On Afterschool Champion award winners, and parent and youth testimonials.

Following the program was a 21st Century Community Learning Centers basketball tournament, a community-wide talent showcase, and a finale line dance. The event focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) related activities for children, youth and families to enjoy.

Secretary of Defense and UNO Alum Chuck Hagel

UNO's military friendliness dates back to the 1950s and the beginnings of the national Bootstrapper program, which made the transition from active duty to college easier for veterans. One notable UNO alum who took advantage of the program is Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, who graduated from UNO in 1971 with a Bachelor of General Studies degree with an emphasis in history.

At the end of his two terms as a U.S. senator in 2008, Hagel served as a UNO distinguished professor. He also gave the keynote address at commencement ceremonies in May 2012.

Hagel returned to UNO in June 2013 giving his first public speech since being named Secretary of Defense earlier in the year. At the event, Hagel helped announce that UNO would be eliminating the application free for active duty and veteran looking to attend UNO.

In November 2013, UNO was named the nation's top public university for veterans by Military Times.

Former Senator Ben Nelson

In February 2013, UNO announced a new educational partnership between former Sen. Ben Nelson and the UNO Department of Political Science.

Beginnig that semester, Nelson became the department’s “Politician-in-Residence.” Part of the Nelson’s responsibilities included team-teaching an upper-division course each semester.

In March 2013, Nelson joined UNO’s Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado (pictured below, left), professor of political science, for a lecture titled “The Impact of Hyper-Partisanship on American Foreign Policy," which was open to the public.

In his lecture, Nelson spoke to how the partisanship in Congress has hindered and/or distorted the foreign policy process. A question-and-answer period followed. Nelson spoke at another lecture the following week and other lectures throughout the semester.

Bonus Throwback Thursday: Robert F. Kennedy Campaigning for John F. Kennedy

In 1960, Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) campaigned at UNO on behalf of his brother, then future President John F. Kennedy (JFK).

RFK is pictured below visiting the "Snack Shack," a southern addition to the Arts and Sciences Hall (ASH) that once served as a student-union prior to the creation of the Milo Bail Student Center.

Learn more about the history of UNO