1979 Distinguished Nebraskans Award Recipient Willis Straus Willis Straus’s sound judgment and forecasting skills helped his company, Northern Natural Gas, grow from annual revenues of $300 million to nearly $5 billion. Straus correctly forecasted the energy crisis of the 1970s and had Northern well positioned with pipeline connections to gas fields in Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. As an Omaha civic leader, Strauss advocated the merger of Omaha University with the University of Nebraska system and poured his energy into redevelopment efforts in the downtown area and the Ak-Sar-Ben property. Back to list

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