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Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska
N
ovelist Willa Cather (1873–1957) was born in Virginia but moved to Nebraska
when she was ten. Best known for her novels
O Pioneers!
and
My Ántonia
,
Cather chronicled frontier life in the Great Plains in several of her works.
Omaha-born dancer, musician, and actor Fred Astaire (1899–1987) was one of
the greatest American stars of all time. He made his dancing debut with his older
sister Adele Astaire (1896–1981) at age five, going on to perform in more than 30
musicals over the course of a career that spanned more than three-quarters of a cen-
tury.
A number of A-list Hollywood actors have come from the Cornhusker State,
including Henry Fonda (1905–1982), Marlon Brando (1924–2004), Nick Nolte
(b. 1941), and Hilary Swank (b. 1974).
Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986) was born in
Tilden, the same eastern Nebraska town that produced Phillies center fielder and
Baseball Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn (1927–1997). Other
ballplayers from Nebraska include Hall of Famers Wade Boggs
(b. 1958) and Bob Gibson (b. 1935).
William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925) was a powerful figure in
late 19th century and early 20th century politics, serving as U.S.
Secretary of State and in the U.S. Congress. He was the
Democratic Party’s nominee for President in 1896, 1900, and 1908.
Other important political figures from Nebraska
include 38th President of the United States Gerald
Ford (1913–2006), African American civil rights
activist Malcolm X (1925–1965), and Richard Cheney (b. 1941),
vice president from 2001–2009 under George W. Bush.
Businessman Warren Buffett (b. 1930), nicknamed the “Oracle
of Omaha” for his stock market insights, is one of the wealthiest
men in the world, with a net worth valued at more than $67 billion
in 2014.
Some Famous Nebraskans
William Jennings
Bryan
Gerald Ford