In 1869, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), was founded, and one of the nation’s premier land-grant institutions. UNL has a long tradition of academic excellence and was the first institution in the American West to grant the Ph.D. degree.

The discipline of ecology originated at UNL, and the campuses today reflect that tradition, being recognized as botanical gardens and arboreta. UNL has been home to many legendary figures, including geneticist George Beadle, and investor Warren Buffett.