Brown Bag History Series

Bring your lunch and learn! These seasonally recurring events bring highly qualified speakers to the library to share varied topics of cultural, historical, or scientific interest. These free programs are a partnership of the University of Nebraska at Kearney's History Department and the Kearney Public Library. #HistoryRemembered

These events are live streamed on the library's YouTube channel. You can watch them live or view past events. Find them here: Brown Bag History Series - YouTube

Brown Bag Lunch Option 1

Nathan Tye (UNK)

  • Dr Nathan TyeWednesday, October 11, 2023
  • Noon–1:00 pm
  • Kearney Public Library

The Kearney Incident: UFOs Over the Platte River

On November 5, 1957, a local grain buyer, R. O. Schmidt, was welcomed aboard a UFO resting near the Platte River. The sheriff interrogated him, the Hub investigated the landing site, and most residents laughed it off. A year later the UFO picked him up in Elm Creek. As the space race took off, Schmidt made a career of "The Kearney Incident," traveling across the country sharing his story. Drawing on Schmidt's writing and declassified Air Force files, this lecture will expose this strange and otherworldly tale from Cold War Kearney.

Dr. Nathan Tye is the Assistant Professor of Nebraska and American West History, where he has taught since 2019. He received his PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Tye serves on the boards of several local community museums and cultural organizations. His research is published in Nebraska History, Annals of Iowa, The Willa Cather Review, and he appeared on NBC’s celebrity genealogy program, "Who Do You Think You Are?".

Upcoming Dates and Speakers

  • Wednesday, November 8: April White (UNK) "The Nebraska State Tuberculosis Hospital"
  • Wednesday, December 13: TBD
  • Wednesday, January 10: TBD