GRADUATION

Dana honored noted Omaha businessman Charles W. Durham by presenting him with an honorary doctor of business at the college’s Commencement Ceremony.

Durham is one of the most well-known figures in Omaha, having achieved extraordinary success building HDR, Inc. into one of the world’s largest and best architectural engineering firms. He has previously been honored by the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress, where he was a founding member and steering committee member. In 2003, he was given the prestigious Horatio Alger Award. Locally, he has been King of Ak-Sar-Ben, Chairman of the Omaha Chamber, Director of the University of Nebraska Foundation and a director and member of many other volunteer organizations.

“One way people count achievement is for awards received, and there is no award of any significance in the Omaha business and volunteer sector that Chuck has not received,” said Dr. Myrvin Christopherson ’61, president.

Durham is also one of Omaha’s greatest philanthropists. His monetary support has helped build the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Durham Science Building and Carillon Tower, the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s The Durham Research Center, the Durham Western Heritage Museum, the Henry Doorly Zoo’s Tree Tops Restaurant, the Nebraska Humane Society’s center and Boy Scout centers. He and his late wife, Margre, helped the college construct the Margre Henningson Durham Center after Dana’s main classroom building, Old Main, burned in 1988.

“In my estimation, the most important reason to grant somebody your highest honor is because a person’s character and spirit rises to the level of worthy of distinction,” Christopherson said. “I have seen Chuck remain steady even through adversity, the loss of his life partner, Margre, and a fractured hip that has reduced his mobility, but never flagged his spirit. If it were not for supporters like Chuck Durham, private colleges like Dana, who receive no direct state or federal dollars, would not be here.”