Reflections in Time: Robert Spire
Title
Reflections in Time: Robert Spire
Subject
NU Merger
Description
Interview with Attorney General of Nebraska, Robert Spire, former student, night school faculty member in the College of Education (1955-1963), and member (1963-1968) of the Board of Regents of the University of Omaha. Producer/host, Paul Borge. Produced in cooperation with the UNO Alumni Association, College of Arts and Sciences, University Television.
In this excerpt, which can be found at timestamp 43:30:09-56:52:26 in the full episode of Reflections in Time, Robert Spire, then president of the OU Board of Regents, provides considerable detail on the Regents' role in the merger. Unanimously in fall 1966, the Regents decided that mission of the university was to serve students in Omaha who couldn't afford to go to school elsewhere. With the failure of both mil levy elections, the Regents felt that OU simply could not finance their mission. OU income came only from student fees and the mil levy; by law, OU could not borrow money. Fear of pricing their students out of their education drove the Regents to the State for funds. Nebraska was just then in the process of creating its first sales and income tax, so it seemed like a prudent move to have OU become a state institution, so some state tax money from Omaha residents would come back to Omaha. The Regents driving force through the process was a desire to ensure that students continued to have quality instructors at convenient times and affordable prices.
Creator
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Source
UNO Media Collection
Publisher
Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska at Omaha Libraries
Date
1985
Relation
UNO Media Collection finding aid available at https://archives.nebraska.edu/repositories/4/resources/216
Format
streaming video
Language
English
Type
television programs
moving image
Coverage
rfit-robert-spire
Citation
University of Nebraska at Omaha, “Reflections in Time: Robert Spire,” University of Nebraska Consortium of Libraries Archives Online Exhibits, accessed March 28, 2024, https://uncl.omeka.net/items/show/212.