Nebraska Vocational Technical School - Technician Yearbook (Milford, NE)

Page 13 text:

A heavy snow in 1953 caused this building used as gymna- sium to collapse. It was a frame structure moved in from the Harvard Air Base in 1947. Pictures below show damage done by a :tornado at Nebraska Tech in April, 1957. , .t ,,4f,,1.!.7. .lay gn- 1 .,,,uwa.,f: -'fly-ff -:WW ,H 1-A111551 s H U11 dll. t. ,qma- ,X A' ,..1-:ef-V ,.,:.r.f..a. - P' -1 ...L Y . I 3 del :dl fi During the history of the school it has not escaped trouble and near disaster. Several attempts were made, before the school was fully established, to close the school by legislative action. However, the attempts received very little legislative support, this showing a vote of confidence for vocational technical education. The 1957 tornado caused considerable damage and could have been the school's greatest disaster. 1- . ,.,t -. , f , ,1 .Q A it fl w, QL gm 1 ,- uw-3 . . H -ze,-J-be V

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Top: Nebraska Tech aerial view. 1958 Bottom: Nebraska Tech aerial view. 1961- Left: Nebraska Tech aerial view, 1947. Below: Nebraska Tech aerial view, 1951 In 1957, through an act of the Legisla- ture of Nebraska, the Nebraska Voca- tional Technical School was approved for a share of the state building fund levy. At that time, a ten-year building program was planned. Because of tor- nado damage in April, 1957, the school received an advance of Si5150,000 with which permanent facilities were con- structed for Auto Body Technology, Auto Mechancis Technology and Diesel Technology. In 1960, an additional new shop was constructed with money ac- cumulated through the building fund levy. In 1961, Senator H. K. Diers of the 24th district, sponsored a legislative bill, LB115, advancing S550,000 to the school to complete the building program. The bill was approved in the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Frank Morrison. It is hoped that the building program will be completed during the next biennium. ..5..

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On the left are three department heads who have been at the school smce if opened in 1941 They are Cleft to right! Clifford Fieselman in Welding Technology Walter Benneif in Metals Technology and Joseph Armstrong in Aufo Mechanics Technology On the right is Lowell A Welsh Director of the school since 1945. Through the years the adminis- trative and instructional staff have had a great deal of influence on the success of the programs and of the graduates. Three department heads have been on the staff since the inception of the school. They are Cliffford Fieselman in Welding Technology, Joseph Armstrong in Auto Mechanics Technology and Walter Bennett in Metals Technol- ogy. Many others have spent ten or more years on the staff. J. R. Jewell served as Acting Director of the school from 1941 to 1945. In 1945, Lowell A. Welsh was appoint- ed as Director of the school and is still serving in that capacity. Under the careful and tireless direction of Mr. Welsh, the school has progres- sed from one with an enrollment of less than 10 to one with a current enrollment of 445. Under his ad- ministration the school has accom- plished many things. A few of these are: the change in the school name in 1957 from Nebraska State Trade School to Nebraska Voca- tional Technical School , the ap- proval of federal aid in 1958 under the National Defense Education Act, 'the approval of building funds in 1957 under the state in- stitutional building fund levy and the dream of new facilities becom- ing a reality. -3-