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COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SINCE 1901 VOL. 95 NO. 59 -----
___ November 10, 1995 '
Education takes Thompson traveling
By Mark Baldridge
Senior Editor
In the second row of a univer
sity literature class. Jack Thompson
holds his glasses aloft and wonders
aloud about the meaning of a par
ticularly dense poem.
One might never guess that quiet
Jack becomes, on more formal oc
casions, E.N. Thompson of the E.N.
Thompson Forum on World Issues.
For eight years, the program has
brought international figures to
speak at the University of Nc
braska-Lincoln.
At other times, the studious
classmate is the chairman of the
Cooper Foundation, a philanthropic
organization that oversees a num
ber of Nebraska grant programs.
Before he settled into that posi
tion he was something of a vaga
bond. That is, he’d been around.
China, Japan, Singapore, Hong
Kong and Malaysia — all have
passed before those blue-gray eyes.
He calls Great Britain “a second
home" and adds Italy and Spain to
that list.
• Just 50 years ago, he was busy
attending the birth of the United
Nations; before that he worked as
an international journalist.
“The only place I have not been
that I would particularly want to
go," he says, “well, there are sev
eral — Tibet, but it’s so high, and
Australia’s so far...
“But other than that I’d like to
take a cruise through the Panama
Canal — I’ve never been there —
and to the Caribbean. We haven’t
been there, much."
In the meantime — between re
sponsibilities, travel and reading the
histories and biographies that are
his constant pleasure — he has his
classes.
At 82, Thompson regularly au
dits classes in an attempt to “fill in
the holes” of his education.
“More information!" is his battle
cry.
Not that he issues many war
whoops. The man in horn-rimmed
spectacles and an ever-present bow
tie looks more like a Cambridge don
than a barbarian at the gate.
And his soft-spoken, somewhat
husky voice doesn’t ring with pre
sumed authority. Instead, it stoops
to ask.
Thompson takes political history
classes, for the most part, though
See THOMPSON on 7
Jeff Haller/DN
E.N. “Jack” Thompson, chairman of the Cooper Foundation, regularly audits classes at UNL.
Thompson, 82, constantly strives to further his education.
---J
Hurricane
gives up
legal fight
By Ted Taylor
Staff Reporter
After a month of swirling legal
storms. The Hurricane has officially
blown away from the downtown Lin
coln scene.
Owners ofThe Hurricane, a bar and
dance club located at 1118 0 St., vol
untarily relinquished their state liquor
1 iccnse Wednesday morning, just a day
before their appeal was to be heard
regarding the Lincoln City Council’s
decision to revoke the license Oct. 16.
Jack Hanrahan, co-owner of The
Hurricane, said in a handwritten let
ter to the Nebraska Liquor Control
Commission that the decision
stemmed from a burglary that oc
curred Nov. 3. The burglars took the
actual liquor license and caused more
than $12,000 in damage.
The bar has been closed since that
date and will remain closed while the
owners seek a new buyer.
See HURRICANE on 6
NU hires
OU botanist
for museum
By Jeff Zeleny
Senior Reporter
A University of Oklahoma botany
professor was named director of the
University of Nebraska State Museum
Thursday.
James Estes will take the reins of
the museum on Feb. 1, after his hiring
is approved by the NU Board of Re
gents. The university has searched
nationally for a museum director for
more than a year.
John Janovy has been interim di
rector of the museum since October
1994, when former director Hugh
Genoways resigned amid controversy.
At the time, university officials and
Genoways disagreed on the museum’s
mission. Genoways had led the mu
seum since 1986.
Priscilla Grew, UNL vice chancel
lor for research, said Estes was an in
ternationally recognized botanist who
See ESTES on 7
Mission increases trade potential Chancellor list complete;
By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter
A chance to get in the “driver’s
scat” of commerce in four central
Asian countries has prompted Gov.
Ben Nelson and Nebraska business
leaders to embark on a trade mission.
The mission, which included stops
in Singapore, Malaysia and Indone
sia, will conclude in India next week.
Nelson said Thursday during his
weekly teleconference that Nebraska’s
contingent has talked trade with gov
ernment representatives in all four
countries, mainly Indonesia, the fourth
most populated country in the world.
“Indonesia has a specific need for
the type of hard winter wheat grown
in Nebraska,” Nelson said from that
country. “Their diet is changing from
rice products to more noodles and
pasta.”
Since 1993, Indonesia has doubled
its wheat imports from 2.5 million tons
to an expected 5 million tons this year.
That number could reach 6 million to
7 million by 1998, Nelson said.
In previous years, Indonesia has
imported its wheat from Australia,
Canada and Saudi Arabia. But since it
opened its trade market and allowed
its middle class to have a greater earn
ing power, the country must find other
wheat sources.
As Indonesia diversifies its diet
from rice to wheat products. Nelson
said it could increase trade in other
Nebraska products.
Behlen Manufacturing in Colum
bus has started exporting large grain
dryers to Indonesia, bringing in an
additional $900,000 in sales, said Tony
Raimondo, president and chief execu
tive officer of Behlen Manufacturing.
Raimondo said the trade mission
created a positive relationship with
Indonesian officials that could double
or triple Behlen’s trade with Indone
sia.
“Our business leaders have estab
lished credibility with Indonesian of
ficials that can carry over to other
Nebraska businesses,” Nelson said.
“We have made business contacts that
we can follow up on later.”
Besides Behlen, Nelson was joined
on the mission by representatives from
Nebraska businesses such as
ConAgra, Paxton Steel, ME Group,
Centurion, American Business Infor
mation Systems and Dreisbach’s
Steaks.
Larry Sitzman, director of the Ne
braska Department of Agriculture,
said Indonesians were starting to eat
more beef products, but they don’t
have feed for their cattle.
“They are very interested in learn
ing feedlot technology,” Sitzman said.
“Their economy is growing in leaps
and bounds. They want to produce a
higher quality of beef and have been
in contact with ConAgra. There is tre
mendous potential here.”
finalists to be announced
By Jeff Zeleny
Senior Reporter
A list of three to five finalists for
the new University of Nebraska-Lin
coln chancellor was selected Thursday
and could be announced publicly this
afternoon or Monday.
The 13-member search committee
met for more than two hours Thurs
day afternoon and evening. Spokes
man Joe Rowson said they were ex
pected to forward the list to NU Presi
dent Dennis Smith.
The list will be released as soon as
Smith reviews it, Rowson said. How
ever, Smith’s illness could delay the
announcement of candidates. He en-_
tered the hospital Tuesday for a coro
nary angioplasty and is expected to be
released today.
The UNL Chancellor Search com
mittee met at 4 p.m. in Varner Hall.
During the meeting, Rowson said, the
13-member committee was to whittle
down the list of about 10 prospects.
Chancellor candidates were to be
contacted Thursday evening, after the
meeting. If all agree to continue with
the search, Rowson said, their names
will be announced.
A new chancellor is to take office
by Jan. 1. Former chancellor Graham
Spanicr left Lincoln in August to be
come president of Pennsylvania State
University.
Sources have said Interim Chancel
lor Joan Leitzel is one of the candi
dates being considered for the chan
cellor position. She has declined to
speak about her interest in the job.
The Daily Nebraskan reported last
week that former UNL administrator
Roy Arnold also was nominated fotc-;
the position. He said Thursday he was
unaware of his progress in the search.