Mr. Gary Kerr Receives UNO Lifetime Achievement Award

UNO Department of Communication Lifetime Achievement Award Presented To Mr. Gary Kerr University of Nebraska at Omaha Friday, May 7, 1999 Omaha, Nebraska

The Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom was the setting for the 44th Annual UNOmaha Communication Awards Luncheon, where Mr. Gary Kerr was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award from UNO communications professor Dr. Mike Hilt.

In referring to Mr. Kerr, Dr. Hilt said, "...we watched him tell us the news of the day. We sat glued to the set as he informed us about the Vietnam War and student protests, the 1975 tornado, the farm recessions of the 1980s, and the prosperity and growth in Omaha during the 1990s. Through it all, he did with it a straight forward journalistic style, and brought dignity and class to the Channel 6 anchor desk. In recognition of his fine work over the years, the UNO Department of Communication is pleased to honor Gary Kerr with the 1999 Lifetime Achievement Award."

A standing ovation for Mr. Gary Kerr

Dr. Mike Milt presents Mr. Kerr with the Lifetime Achievement Award

Mr. Kerr looks upon the standing ovation

A standing ovation greeted Mr. Kerr as he stepped up to the microphone. Waiving to the crowd to sit down (with a grin on his face), Mr. Kerr then thanked the crowd. The following is what he said:

"Well, this is just wonderful. This is like old home week for me. I mean, all of these people (referring to three tables in the room with former and current Channel 6 employees) who work at Channel 6 or have worked at Channel 6 coming out here today. I mean it's just fantastic and I thank you all for that. And for the rest of you too and for that standing ovation which was really nice...I appreciate that so much.

All of those years that I worked at Channel 6, those were years that I just loved here in town. I'm from the Midwest, I just love this part of the country, and I love being here in Omaha. All of those years reporting for Channel 6 and reporting the events of the day were a wonderful time for me.

There's such a connection between Channel 6 and UNO. A lot of the people who are sitting here (motioning to one side of the room) and a lot of the people in the rest of the room (motioning to the other side) who are as old as I am...if you get that old, you know (audience laughs), came through UNO and worked at the station. The interns, my gosh, all of the interns that have been through Channel 6, it is just fantastic. It's quite an university and a program that you have that allows people to go through that kind of program and end up at a station like Channel 6 or one of the other stations here in town.

It's a great honor for me to be recognized by a learning institution whose job it is to put very qualified people out there in broadcast news, newspapers, etc. I will cherish this award and I thank you very much for it."

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