Video: Meet the Hollands

Mary and Richard Holland have been generous supporters of Omaha’s performing arts community, most recently for their significant contribution for the downtown performing arts center.

But the couple’s broad interests include their gifts to the Durham Research Center and an endowed chair in communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In addition, their generosity has extended to such local arts institutions as the Opera Omaha, Omaha Symphony, Joslyn Art Museum, and to community organizations such as the Child Saving Institute, All Our Kids Inc. and the Nature Conservancy.

Mary and Dick Holland’s gift establishes the Cardiovascular Research Laboratories on the fifth floor of the Durham Research Center.

"I generally say to people who have a lot of money that if you don’t give money to family services, education, science or the arts, you’re nuts. It just happens that in my view the medical center is very deserving of significant support," Richard Holland said.

Vice president of the Performing Arts Society, Richard Holland is a retired Omaha advertising executive. President of Opera Omaha from 1966 to 1970, he is currently vice chairman of the board of the Opera Omaha Foundation, which handles the company’s endowment.

Richard Holland graduated from the University of Omaha with an education in chemistry and the fine arts. He then served in the Army Chemical Corps, stationed in Maryland, North Africa and Italy, and attained the rank of captain. In 1957, he helped establish the Holland Dreves Reilly agency in Omaha.

Mary Holland graduated from Brownell Hall, now Brownell-Talbot Preparatory School, and graduated from Mills College in Oakland, Calif. She was a princess of Ak-Sar-Ben in 1947 and a member of the Junior League of Omaha.

Mrs. Holland is vitally interested in the problems of children and young adults and is directly involved in such efforts.

"I don’t think there can be any progress in the sciences without research. In fact, school would suffer if it did not pursue research. It changes the people within the institution, allowing them to think in different ways when the research programs are strong," Richard Holland said.

"Whenever research is done at UNMC, you’ll see results. It will benefit the people of Nebraska and we’ll probably see benefits for the nation, and the world," he said.

Mary Holland agrees. "I happen to think that research is absolutely necessary in medicine, with all the threats that come our way – whether health or enemies from without, such as bioterrorism – we really need to be a step ahead."

Note: Mary Holland died on June 22, 2006. She was 82.