Dick Holland receives UNO Alumni Citation
The UNO Alumni Association bestowed its
Citation for Alumnus Achievement upon Richard Holland during the university’s
winter commencement Dec. 21 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Holland received a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of
Omaha in 1948. He established a long and distinguished career as an advertising
agency executive and, with his wife, Mary, carried out many philanthropic
efforts. He has continued his charitable endeavors since his wife’s death in
2006.
The Citation, inaugurated in 1949, is presented at each UNO
commencement. The association’s highest honor, it encompasses career
achievement, community service, involvement in business and professional
associations, and fidelity to UNO. Association President Lee Denker presented
the award to Holland, the 145th Citation recipient.
“The Hollands’ admirable
and generous philanthropy has enriched numerous Omahans young and old, directly
and indirectly,” said Denker. “Since establishing a distinguished career in
advertising, Mr. Holland has continued to a second career of giving. He remains
intimately engaged in the benefit of others and is as willing to give of his
time and talent as he is of his treasure. That extends to wide-ranging support
of the university, furthering its mission and pursuit of excellence.”
An Omaha native, Holland
attended Omaha University after graduating from Central High School in 1938. He
majored in chemistry at OU but his studies were interrupted by service during
World War II as an officer in the chemical corps. After the war he returned to
Omaha University and switched majors, studying art. He graduated then took over
the advertising business of his father, Lewis Holland.
In 1957
Richard Holland helped establish the Holland, Dreves, Reilly advertising agency
in Omaha. In 1979 it merged with a Lincoln agency and became Swanson,
Rollheiser, Holland, Inc. Holland remained a principal member until his
retirement, at which time the agency was Omaha’s second largest advertising
company.
Holland has been active
in numerous organizations. He was president of Opera Omaha from 1966 to 1970.
He currently is vice chairman of the board of the Opera Omaha Foundation and
vice chairman of Omaha Performing Arts. He and his wife served on other boards
for organizations such as Omaha Symphony, Center for Western Studies–Joslyn Art
Museum, Weitz Series Funds, The Nature Conservancy, All Our Kids Inc. and Child
Saving Institute.
The
couple’s Holland Foundation also gave generously to these and other
organizations. Their most notable contribution was a multi-million-dollar grant
to Omaha’s $90-million Performing Arts Center, which opened in the fall of 2005
bearing the names of Richard and Mary Holland.
The
couple also has provided substantial gifts to the University of Nebraska
Medical Center and to the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Their contributions
at UNO include funding the Robert T. Reilly Chair honoring Holland’s former
advertising partner. The endowment made that Communication School professorship
among the most rewarding at UNO. More recently, Holland
was a major donor to the installation of a supercomputer at the Peter Kiewit
Institute. Housed in the newly named Holland Computing Center, it is touted
as one of the most powerful computers in the world.
Holland’s UNO ties run
deep. His father is mentioned in the 1924 Gateway
yearbook as an assembly speaker during his tenure as advertising manager for
Orchard & Wilhelm Company. Richard had three siblings who also graduated
from Omaha University: William (1938), John (1942) and Jean (1946). John
Holland, who became a leading researcher in the field of career development and
who now is a professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University, received the
Citation for Alumnus Achievement in 1981. The Hollands are the
third set of brothers to receive the Citation, joining Glenn and Robert
Cunningham and Howard and Norman Sorensen.
Holland and his wife,
Mary, had three daughters, Barbara, Mary Ann and Nancy, and five grandchildren.
