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PROFILE: Frank B. Morrison Sr.

Originator of first tourist attraction in the nation to span an Interstate Highway, progressive political leader, and visionary

Copyright © 2006 by Jean Sanders

Frank Brenner Morrison, Nebraska's governor from 1961-1967, had a lifelong love of and dedication to education and history. His father, Frank, was a widower with two daughters when he married Viva Brenner. Frank Brenner Morrison was born May 20, 1905 in Golden, Colorado, followed a year later by his sister, Eva Hope. Frank was only two when his father died in 1907, leaving Viva to raise the merged family's four children. At first Viva followed her husband's plan to homestead in eastern Colorado but in 1911 she moved her family to Manhattan, Kansas so she could care for her ailing parents who lived there.

Frank's childhood provided a rich foundation for this future lawyer and politician. His maternal grandparents, Jacob and Charlotte Brenner, were staunch Republicans. Jacob was a Civil War veteran who was county commissioner for many years and later served in the Kansas Legislature where he helped write the first women's suffrage plank for the Republican Party's platform. Charlotte, according to Frank, "introduced me to the social sciences, political life, and the Bible." As he put it, "[In her mind] an earthly trinity consisted of the U.S. government, the Methodist Church, and the Republican Party."

Frank's responsible work ethic became ingrained early. The summer he was twelve, relatives hired him to help on their farm in Colorado for $12 a month, a good sum for a boy in 1917. During junior high he had a newspaper route, sold newspapers on the street, and worked as a janitor in a local dance hall. When another summer arrived, he hoed weeds at Kansas State University's agricultural station in Manhattan, then known as Kansas State Agricultural College.

Jacob Brenner's death in 1919 affected Frank profoundly. Until then he had loved learning and was an honor student, but in the ensuing two years his interest in schooling flagged and he failed some classes. However, in one area of life he excelled. Jacob Brenner had instilled in his grandson a love of gardening or, in a word--tomatoes. Young Frank built a thriving business growing tomatoes on vacant lots near the family home. At fifteen, he borrowed money to buy a greenhouse and sold tomatoes to both wholesalers and retailers. Later, he expanded the business to include cabbage, asters and sweet peas.

Then, in his junior year of high school, he met a teacher who had a law degree and taught debate. Frank was fascinated by the facile use of words and exciting exchange of ideas. With renewed enthusiasm and inspired by the idea that he could become a lawyer, too, Frank's grades soared.

In those days a student could enter law school after only two years of college, but Frank's mother was adamant that he should earn an undergraduate degree first. Kansas State was the logical choice because Frank could live at home and help finance his education with his gardening business.

During those undergraduate years he studied both natural and social sciences, including chemistry, physics, history and debate. Indeed, Frank credited his experience with intercollegiate debate as "the start of my dedication to substituting reason for war." And although he advocated for pro-peace causes throughout his lifetime, he was never anti-military. In college he served as a student infantry cadet and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Infantry Reserves upon graduation.

His first foray into politics occurred during his senior year when a quasi-girlfriend convinced him to run for student body president to represent independents and some fraternity members who were disenchanted with the Greek monopoly of campus leadership. He lost by a landslide.

Frank graduated in 1927 with a Bachelor of Science Degree and a teaching certificate in hand. The decision about where to attend law school was simplified when a widowed aunt invited him to live with her in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she was to begin teaching at the University.

After completing his first year, Frank wanted to pay off some debts, so he spent a year teaching high school physics and history at Farwell, Nebraska. Then he returned to Lincoln and completed law school.

An unexpected opportunity presented itself when C. K. Morris, superintendent of the University of Nebraska School of Agriculture at Curtis, asked Frank if he knew someone who would be a good history teacher for the coming year there. It was 1931 and considering the salary offered, practicality answered the question. Frank taught history, algebra, and coached debate. He loved the challenge and always maintained that teaching is the most important profession. Nevertheless, Frank's inner lawyer lurked within, so he could not resist when a Maywood, Nebraska civic leader, Harry Hall, offered him free office space to practice law there.

The 1930s were hard for nearly everyone. There was a nationwide financial depression compounded in the agriculturally dependent Midwest by devastating drought and dust storms. Frank was appointed local attorney to help prevent foreclosures and handle refinancing through the new Federal Home Owners Loan Act, which had been created as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program to aid national fiscal recovery.

Thus began Frank's transformation into a true Democratic political activist--a bold conversion in a strongly Republican state. As Frank put it, "I became a Roosevelt Democrat and supporter of the New Deal. I believed the government should support the price of farm products, liberalize credit, create public works, insure employment and bank deposits, bring electricity to the rural areas, check water and soil erosion, and regulate irresponsible gambling on Wall Street."

In 1934 Frank decided to run for Frontier County Attorney. He won, was sworn in January 1935, moved to Stockville, Nebraska and served two terms. During his tenure he organized the first rural co-op in the state.

Meanwhile, in July 1935, Frank met Maxine Elizabeth Hepp, a young teacher from Greeley, Nebraska. Ten years his junior, beautiful and vivacious, it was almost love-at-first-sight. They were wed June 28, 1936. Subsequently they had three children: Frank Jr. (known as Biff), Jean Marie and David Jon. Their happy union lasted until Maxine's death sixty-eight years later.

In 1940, Frank was elected National Committeeman of the Young Democrats and was an alternate to the Democratic National Convention. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, he wanted to renew his commission in the U.S. Infantry but was rejected due to remnants of an old ulcer.

In 1942, Frank partnered with attorney Frank Butler and moved to McCook, Nebraska. Soon his law practice expanded throughout southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas. During the mid-forties he also became involved with the presidential campaign of Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver and spent some time in South Dakota, where he helped set up the South Dakota organization. While there, he met young J. James Exon, who would become a close friend, advisor and future governor of Nebraska.

Now thoroughly immersed in the political process and determined to influence public policy on a national level, Frank decided to run for Congress in 1954. Estes Kefauver visited Nebraska to help him campaign. Frank lost, but his interest in forming public policy endured and his stature within the Democratic Party grew.

In 1955, the Morrisons moved to Lincoln, where Frank joined John "Dugie" Doyle in a law partnership. During the next few years, Frank's political participation continued. He ran for lieutenant governor somewhat reluctantly while insisting that his primary interest was national policy. After losing that race, he campaigned vigorously to become a U.S. Senator. This resulted in another loss, so he was surprised when, in 1959, J. James Exon urged him to run for governor. Exon now owned an office supply store in Lincoln and had become a dynamic force in Nebraska's Democratic Party.

Frank was fifty-five years old, had a thriving law practice, and still wanted to influence national policy, so his initial impulse was to say no, but Exon was persuasive and agreed to be his campaign manager. This time Frank was victorious! It was the first time that the Nebraska votes for U.S. President--in this case Nixon--were not for the same party as the votes for governor. In fact, Frank was the only Democrat elected on a statewide ticket in 1960.

Earlier in 1958, Frank and Maxine had met young Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie when Kennedy spoke at the annual Democratic Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Omaha. A lasting friendship was formed and Kennedy had, at Frank's invitation, addressed the local Rotary Club in Lincoln. When Kennedy was elected U.S. President, the Morrisons were invited to the inauguration. Because this was more than a superficial political friendship, Frank finally had the attention and respect of national leaders of both major political parties--a respect that included future presidents and international leaders.

In January 1961, Frank B. Morrison, Sr. was sworn into office, eventually becoming the last Nebraska governor to serve three terms. His accomplishments during that time are a testament to his vision, persistence and salesmanship. There was never any question about his priorities. Quality education was vital. During his administration, University of Nebraska programs were improved and expanded, a statewide Educational Television Network was created, and a Center for Continuing Education was built that served as a home base for lifelong learning and emphasized programs for people over age fifty. A Committee on Gifted Children was also implemented.

Economic development was another high priority. Agricultural and business leaders met with peers in other states and countries to exchange ideas and encourage doing business with Nebraska. This type of interdependent cooperation was a fairly new concept at the time and proved to be successful.

Another facet of economic development was to combine tourist promotion with historical education, eventually earning Frank the unofficial title of "Father of Nebraska Tourism." In a joint venture with Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, the Old West Trail Commission was created and bus tours were instituted.

Some of Nebraska's small towns were recognized officially as ethnic capitals in order to spotlight cultural heritage and diversity. Annual festivals began. Loup City was the Polish Capital, Wilber was the Czech Capital, and Stromsburg was the Swede Capital.

A Hall of Fame Commission was formed to honor outstanding Nebraskans who achieved prominence for their accomplishments.

One idea that intrigued then Governor Morrison, who had laid out the route for I-80 through Nebraska, was the fact that all the major historic trails passed through the state. Three of them--the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails--followed the Platte River and met midway across the state near Kearney. The concept that some sort of commemorative monument should be constructed was born, but it would take another thirty-plus years for him to see it become a reality.

To establish pride in Nebraska's culture and beauty, programs instituted included the Nebraskaland Foundation, Nebraska Arts Council, Community Betterment Contests, and the Keep Nebraska Beautiful Commission. Mel Steen, head of the Game and Parks Commission, convinced the governor that a chain of lakes along the new Interstate would be beneficial.

Social reforms included the state's first retirement pension program for all state employees, a merit plan for the selection of state judges, the first medical assistance program, the Fair Employment Practices Act, a Commission on the Status of Women, a Commission on Equal Rights, and the Commission on Aging.

During his third term as governor, Frank decided to try again for a seat in the U.S. Senate. This proved to be ill-advised. However, his status as a Democratic Party leader and his position as a respected attorney were assured. In January 1967, Frank moved to Omaha to join his son, Biff, in a law firm. Frank also served on the Mayor's Committee on Jail Reform, taught state government at University of Nebraska at Omaha and Creighton University, lectured at the International Institute in Taiwan, and, in 1968, spent time in India as an advisor for the Agency for International Development.

He tried for a Senate seat again in 1970, but when he lost, he accepted an appointment as Douglas County Defender. Meanwhile, Biff had moved to Montana and was a trial lawyer there.

In 1976, Frank was 71 years old and, due to his many years of public service at a relatively low salary, he felt it would be financially prudent to join his son in private law practice, so he and Maxine moved to Montana.

Nearing his eightieth birthday, Frank was seduced by the idea of retirement in warm Arizona. Life there was leisurely, his home and yard were beautiful, and he and Maxine enjoyed good health. It should have been an ideal existence, but for a man whose need for mental stimulation and involvement with social issues was essential, life became increasingly boring. The Morrisons moved back to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1990, where there were causes and projects dear to their hearts.

At the age of ninety, when most men would be reveling in retirement, Frank Morrison was busy planning for the future. The time finally seemed right to convince people that the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument should be built. It would be an exciting educational tool for exploring the evolution of transportation and communication.

As he had envisioned years earlier, Frank felt Kearney was the perfect site. Besides being located where the major overland trails met, Ft. Kearny, an important historic army outpost, was nearby, and other important tourist attractions were within a two-hour or less drive. Also, Kearney is in the path of the great sandhill crane migration, an event that draws thousands of visitors to the area from around the world. The potential for attracting people to an historical monument there and educating them about their heritage seemed limitless.

The goal was to build a structure that would inspire people to appreciate and learn from their history. It could educate and entertain simultaneously. It would require major funding and first-rate imaginative designers, so Frank assembled a nationwide team of advisors to develop a plan. When it was suggested that the monument should be an archway spanning I-80, they met with then Governor E. Benjamin Nelson, who supported the concept enthusiastically. However, building a tourist attraction over a major national highway had never been done, so there were major obstacles to overcome, including architectural controversy and the need to raise $60 million.

Undaunted, Frank and his supporters persisted. They organized a statewide Educational Advisory Committee. They also established working alliances with Kearney's City Council, its Chamber of Commerce and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Out of this, the Great Plattte River Road Archway Monument dream became reality. Using state of the art technology in construction and interior presentation, the evolution of transportation and communication emerged. Frank, the teacher, had founded an unique educational legacy. It was built beside the road and, in one night, it was rolled over the highway--the largest object ever to have been rolled over a highway in Nebraska's history and the only historic monument ever to bridge an Interstate Highway.

It opened to the public June 9, 2000. Since then President Clinton visited the Archway when he gave a major speech at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and screenwriters Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor featured it in their movie About Schmidt starring Jack Nicholson. The Archway also won the THEA Award for outstanding achievement in the attractions industry--the industry's equivalent of the Oscar.

Never one to rest on his laurels or to be involved with only one project, Frank Morrison, in his nineties, did not appear to slow down. He wrote his autobiography My Journey Through the Twentieth Century, spoke at numerous civic and political events, promoted international peace, opposed the death penalty, and testified frequently in legislative hearings. He was appointed co-chairman of the Governor's Task Force on Prison Overcrowding and Alternatives to Incarceration.

He wrote an unpublished treatise entitled "Life, Liberty and Security in a Troubled and Dangerous World" in which he advocated peaceful solutions to world problems. In it he stated, "Human civilization, if not human survival, hangs in the balance. A combination of hate, paranoia, lawlessness, a rising tide of religious fanaticism, and self-righteousness superimposed on weapons of mass destruction culminating in nuclear bombs have created an unprecedented threat to human life and security. Moral and political responsibility demand that we solve this threat. To not do so stamps us as traitors to our country, our civilization and our creator."

With his wife and son Biff, he helped create an historic district in McCook named Heritage Square. McCook had been home to three Nebraska governors: Ralph Brooks, Frank Morrison and E. Benjamin Nelson. It was also home to George W. Norris, longtime U.S. Senator who had been instrumental in bringing electric power to rural America. The Frank B. Morrison Family Educational Foundation was created to help promote Heritage Square and other educational programs.

At age 98, only a few months before his death, former Governor Frank B. Morrison was interviewed on public television by former Nebraska governor and U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey at the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications studio in Lincoln, Nebraska in a three hour, wide-ranging conversation.

Maxine Morrison died March 18, 2004. Just a month later, Frank Morrison succumbed to cancer.

Among his many honors received, some of Frank's favorites included being a research assistant on President Hoover's Wickersham Commission on Law Enforcement while in law school; the Nebraska State Bar Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997; Rotary Club #14 of Lincoln Nebraskan of the Year in 1998; and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humanities from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2003.

Frank Brenner Morrison Sr. held public office for seventeen years, but his influence on public policy lasted well beyond his lifetime.

Valuable sources to study include Frank B. Morrison, My Journey Through the Twentieth Century (Lincoln, NE: Media Publications & Marketing Inc., 2001) and Nebraska Life, May/June 2001, pp. 49-54 and New York Times, June 27, 2003, pp. D-1, D-8 and Frank Morrison and Bob Kerrey: A Conversation (NETV, 2004).

For more information, consult "900 Famous Nebraskans" on the Internet at www.nsea.org or www.byjake.com/gagecountymuseum or www.nebpress.com.