Harold and Marian Andersen
Andersen Hall gets its name from Harold and Marian Andersen whose gifts and support have contributed greatly to the success of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Their generous personal gifts to the university have provided many students with opportunities for education and access to state-of-the-art resources.
Setting the standard not only as students, alumni, donors and heralds for community service, the Andersen's also established themselves as top-ranked professionals in their fields. In addition, they have been recognized for their efforts and achievements not only in Nebraska but also around the world.
Harold Andersen has spent his life in an unrelenting quest to see free press established globally and has affected political and governmental decision-making worldwide. He began working for the Omaha World-Herald in 1946 as a reporter; became assistant to the managing editor in 1958; then served successively as assistant to the president, vice president and business manager before taking over as president in 1966 where he served until 1986 and then as publisher from 1986 to 1989.
Mr. Andersen was the first American to serve as president of the International Federation of Newspaper Publishers; is the only Nebraskan to be chair and president of the American Newspaper Publishers Association; served as a director of the Associated Press and chaired its Foreign Operations Committee; and served as chairman of the World Press Freedom committee.
Marian Andersen became the first woman to head the Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross and later served as vice-chairman for the American Red Cross Board of Governors. She also served as a director of The Public Broadcasting System. Marian Andersen has received numerous recognitions including the United Way Citizen of the Year; the YWCA Tribute to Women; Outstanding Alumna of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority; Outstanding Sustainer of the Junior League of Omaha; and the Perry Branch Award from the NU Foundation and the Nebraska Builders Award from the NU system in 1987. She has co-chaired the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and the Alexis de Toqueville Society of the United Way of the Midlands and served on the board of Nebraska Arts Council, Opera Omaha, YWCA and the Nebraska State Historical Society.
The Andersen's have each served as chairman of the University of Nebraska Foundation and co-chairmen of the Foundation's Campaign Nebraska, which raised some $725 million for the university, influencing the lives of university students in many majors.
