Weird Creighton History: Recent Episodes
Weird Creighton History
In a new episode of Weird Creighton History, Rick and Micah speak with local writer Matt Holland about civil rights pioneer Fr. John Markoe, SJ, a beloved and influential Jesuit who worked for Creighton University. Markoe is best known for founding the Omaha DePorres Club, whose members worked to encourage businesses to change racially discriminatory practices. Be sure to attend the event Righting History: The Markoe Collection and the Omaha DePorres Club on Sept. 28 at the Revive Center to learn more about Markoe and the private collection of materials Holland recently donated to Creighton.
Law-abiding library patrons Rick and Micah discuss Creighton's relation to the academic crime of the century: the Iowa man who stole 26,000 rare books and manuscripts from about 300 university libraries across the U.S. The collection — estimated at anywhere from $5.3 million to $40 million — made Stephen Carrie Blumberg the most prolific book thief in world history. After Blumberg's 1990 arrest, a group of Creighton librarians helped the FBI return thousands of books to their rightful owners. This drew Blumberg's ire, and he warned Creighton that the Reinert library would be the next target of one of his elaborate heists. More than 30 years later, as a Creighton archivist, professor and class of students recently discovered, this story is far from finished.
Read the story of the book bandit, the Omaha Project, and the Creighton detectives here.
In the second part of our Weird Creighton History series on the notorious book thief and the Creighton-aided FBI investigation the Omaha Project, Micah speaks with Creighton archivist Pete Brink about Stephen Carrie Blumberg, the rare books and manuscripts that the FBI gave to Creighton and how a recent discovery in the Rare Books Room opened a new chapter in the story.
Be sure to listen to Part 1 of this series (Weird Creighton History: Episode 11)
And, if you're interested in an even deeper dive, check out our full story on the book bandit and the Creighton detectives.
In the third part of our Weird Creighton History series on the notorious book thief and the Creighton-aided FBI investigation the Omaha Project, Micah speaks with Creighton assistant professor Trish Ross, PhD, about the class she taught on the case this spring and the online exhibit the students created.
Be sure to listen to Part 1 of this series (Weird Creighton History:Episode 11)
And Part 2
And, if you're interested in an even deeper dive, check out our full story on the book bandit and the Creighton detectives.
With the St. John's Fountain and Plaza under renovations (and it being the 30-year anniversary of the Eternal Flame sculpture), Rick and Micah decided to explore the history of Creighton's fountain and Mall and ended up talking a bunch about a controversial nude sculpture and its long, sad campus journey. Some weird details here. Did you know they once wanted to put a pond/ice-skating rink on the Mall next to Gallagher? You can read a whole bunch about the fountain's history (and see dozens of photos) here.
Dreaming of a weird Christmas? You're in luck. We've got a two-part Weird Creighton Christmas extravaganza. Part 1 recounts strange tales of Creighton Christmases past — like the 2001 Christmas tree controversy and the story of the campus Grinch who stole (then returned) Christmas. For Part 2, we It's-a-Wonderful-Life Creighton, by asking ... "What would the world be like if the University had never existed?" A few alums shared their responses! And finally, we explore the similarities between co-host Rick Davis and Jimmy Stewart. Merry Christmas!
Did you know you can already make a gift for Creighton’s Giving Tuesday? Please consider doing so here.
For our next episode of Weird Creighton History, we're going to It's a Wonderful Life Creighton University, and we want to hear from you! What might your life have been if Creighton University were never born? You can text, email or call in your responses! (Fun fact: Every time an alum (or friend) responds, a Bluejay gets its wings!)
He was one of the most consequential individuals ever to graduate from Creighton University, though few know his name. In a not-weird (though inspiring and heartrending) episode of Weird Creighton History, Rick and Micah explore the life of John Pehle, a man whose actions helped save the lives of 200,000 European Jews in WWII.
- Read the full story
- Watch The U.S. and the Holocaust
- Read the full report Pehle cowrote for FDR
In a new episode of Weird Creighton History, Rick and Micah dive into Creighton University's connection (via three Jesuits) to the exorcism that inspired The Exorcist.
Episode sources:
Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism by Thomas B. Allen
"The Exorcist: A True Story," New York Post
"The Haunted Boy," Strange Magazine
Newspapers.com, Lincoln Journal Star, Washington Post
Creghton University Archives and Special Collections
The pilot episode of Weird Creighton History, a podcast exploring the odd and unknown in Creighton University's history. With longtime alum/writer/editor Rick Davis and (deeply) amateur historian Micah Mertes.
Be sure to sign up for Creighton Days before time runs out.
Episode sources:
- The History of Creighton University, 1878–2003 by Dennis Mihelich
- Memoirs of Fr. William F. Rigge, SJ
- Historia Domas, Creighton University Archives and Special Collections
- Creighton University : Reminiscences of the First Twenty-Five Years by Fr. Michael P. Dowling, SJ
- "A History of North Omaha's McCreary mansion," NorthOmahaHistory.com
- Newspapers.com, Omaha Daily Bee
- Omaha Illustrated : A History of the Pioneer Period and the Omaha of Today
The pilot episode of Weird Creighton History, a podcast exploring the odd and unknown in Creighton University's history. With longtime alum/writer/editor Rick Davis and (deeply) amateur historian Micah Mertes.
Be sure to sign up for Creighton Days before time runs out.
Episode sources:
- The History of Creighton University, 1878–2003 by Dennis Mihelich
- Memoirs of Fr. William F. Rigge, SJ
- Historia Domas, Creighton University Archives and Special Collections
- Creighton University : Reminiscences of the First Twenty-Five Years by Fr. Michael P. Dowling, SJ
- "A History of North Omaha's McCreary mansion," NorthOmahaHistory.com
- Newspapers.com, Omaha Daily Bee
- Omaha Illustrated : A History of the Pioneer Period and the Omaha of Today