Introduction
Nebraska has had only two official state names:
However, beef had become so important to Nebraska’s economy by the 1950s that from 1956 through 1965, the Nebraska license plate carried the motto,
The Beef State
. That title was never an official state name by act of the legislature, but it carried an important place in the hearts of Nebraskans.
Beef boomed Nebraska’s economy. The tax revenue it generated helped support important, long sought-after building projects and created new institutions, such as:
In Nebraska, the prosperity of the 1950s and ‘60s that the rest of the country also felt was directly a result of our beef economy.