As a native Nebraskan, I loved Johnny Carson because he never forgot where he came from.
The following is an article from today's Omaha World Herald which shows just how generous he was to both Nebraska and Iowa:
To Nebraskans and Iowans, Johnny Carson was more than the affable former host of "The Tonight Show."
The Iowa-born, Nebraska-raised comedian also was a philanthropist, friend and favorite native son.
Midlanders won't soon forget the quick-witted TV personality who left behind a legacy marked by generosity and humor.
"Johnny Carson was a first-class act," Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said Sunday. "He never forgot his ties to Nebraska, and his generosity has created a lasting legacy in our state."
"He was generous. He was very gracious," said Betty Bohac, director of Elkhorn Valley Museum & Research Center in Norfolk, Neb. Carson spent much of his childhood in Norfolk.
"He really epitomized the community. He was so down to earth."
The museum has a permanent display of Carson memorabilia, including Emmy Awards and framed magazine covers. Bohac said the museum, which normally closes at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, will remain open until 9 p.m. this Wednesday for people to come and remember Carson. The museum will waive its entry fee that evening.
"He was very proud of Nebraska and Norfolk," she said.
Across the state, numerous buildings bearing Carson's name testify to his devotion to Nebraska.
In Norfolk, a $2.27 million gift funded a cancer radiation center - named after his parents - and a $600,000 check helped pay for Norfolk Public Schools' Johnny Carson Theater. Carson also gave $1 million to Northeast Community College and $500,000 to the Norfolk Library Foundation, among others.
At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Carson has given millions of dollars to fund an annual student scholarship and to benefit performing arts education. In November, he donated $5.3 million, in part to renovate the Temple Building, where Carson honed his craft as a college student.
"It reflects the love he had for the university and, in particular, the experiences he had in that building," said Jack Oliva, dean of the Hixson-Lied College of the Fine and Performing Arts at UNL. "He never forgot the university and never forgot what the university meant to him."
Carson also donated money to several Iowa towns where his family briefly lived, including a skate park in Corning, an indoor recreation center in Clarinda, an arts center in Red Oak and a library project in Avoca.
In 1988, when he was in Norfolk for the dedication of the Carson Regional Radiation Center, Carson explained his generosity:
"I have always felt that if you're lucky enough in this life to accumulate enough funds to live better than you have any right to, then you have a moral obligation to pay back to the community, or to the country or to the place that brought you up."
Carson showed a different kind of generosity to comedian and Omaha native Pat Hazell, who performed on "The Tonight Show" in 1989. The TV host invited Hazell, who shares a love of magic, to his dressing room to chat before the show.
"I didn't realize until later that it wasn't standard for everyone," said Hazell, who became enamored with Carson's comic style as a youth. "I'm sure at least part of it was because of the Nebraska ties."
Carson was born John William Carson in Corning on Oct. 23, 1925, to Homer "Kit" and Ruth Carson.
His father was a manager for Iowa-Nebraska Light and Power Co. and moved his family to the Iowa towns of Clarinda, Red Oak and Avoca before settling in Norfolk in 1933. His mother, Ruth, was a homemaker.
Carson paid tribute to Norfolk when he returned to film the 1982 NBC special, "Johnny Goes Home."
As a youngster, Carson showed a passion for magic. He ordered a magic kit at age 12, and soon "The Great Carsoni" was born. He began performing two years later at local Elks, Moose and Redmen Lodges.
Omahan Walter Graham said Carson used to come to magic club meetings when he worked in Omaha.
"He was a good magician," Graham said. "He could do sleight of hand, card manipulations. . . . He was pretty well-rounded in that kind of stuff.
"He was a very low-key type guy," Graham said. "A nice fella and full of fun."
After graduating from high school, Carson served as a Navy ensign during World War II. He enrolled at the University of Nebraska after his tour and earned a bachelor of arts degree in radio and speech in 1949.
He later worked at WOW-TV and WOW radio in Omaha. He left Nebraska during the 1950s to host a series of TV shows, including "Carson's Cellar," "Earn Your Vacation" and "Who Do You Trust?" before filling in for Jack Paar on "The Tonight Show" in 1958.
Richard "Pete" Petrashek, a retired WOWT news photographer who worked with Carson at WOW-TV, said Carson was the one who dubbed him Pete. At one time, Petrashek said, there were five men named Richard at the station, all of whom went by the nickname "Dick." Carson got tired of it, Petrashek said, and he declared, "From now on, you're Pete Petrashek."
Bohac, the Norfolk museum director, said Carson would live on.
"We're proud of him that he did make good in Hollywood," she said. "But we also have a good deal of respect for him because he did not forget his hometown."
