The Nebraska Society
The Nebraska Society of the SAR was organized April 26, 1890 in the Paxton Hotel of Omaha. Thirty candidates were present. When it became apparent that not all could correctly claim descent from Revolutionary forebears, at a fall meeting a resolution was adopted notifying all applicants to complete and to document their credentials carefully. As a result 18 names were dropped. Most of the members of the Nebraska Society are located in the eastern area of the state.
There are two chapters, one in Lincoln and the other in Omaha. We are working to form a third chapter in the central part of the state. We are experiencing a great growth in out Society with an increase of approximatly 50 members over the past 10 years or so.
Among the well-known compatriots in our membership were Roscoe Pound, Dean of the Harvard Law School; Samuel Avery, Past Chancellor of the University of Nebraska; Harold J. Daub Jr., Congressmen, Mayor, Presidential appointee as Chairmen of the Social Security Advisory Board and Sterling Faan Mutz, who became President General of the National Society.
On March 27, 1961, the late Compatriot Elmer Forrest Estes, then the President of the State Society, wrote to members as follows: “Members join the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution because they have pride in family, because they want to record in some safe place the genealogical line which proves them to be of Revolutionary or pre-Revolutionary ancestry (this amounts, in addition to pride of family, to pride of country). Members seldom join the SAR because of any particular political belief, and, in the strictest sense, we are pledged to be a non-partisan organization. We are proud of the men who are leaders in their church, in their civic clubs, in their political parties, in their community, and in their state and country.“
- Society Membership 100%
- Lincoln Chapter 22%
- Omaha Chapter 56%
- Non-chapter members 21%
2024-25 Officers and Chairmen
President: John Braisted
1st Vice President: Paul Burright
2nd Vice President: James Hoke
Secretary: Stan Wostrel
Treasurer: Bill Webb
Registrar: Mark Byars
Chaplain: Jim Sly
Awards Chairman: Open
Eagle Scout Chairman: Open
Historian: John Reinert
Flag Chairman: Open
Color Guard Commander: Paul Burright
First Responders Chairman: Open
ROTC Chairman: Open
Americanism Chairman: Paul Burright
America 250 Chairman: Mark Byars
Trustee: Jim Sly
Alternate Trustee: Mark Byars
constitution and other documents of the nessar
Minutes of past meetings
Fall 2021 | Spring 2021 |
Fall 2015 | Spring 2015 |
Fall 2014 | |
Fall 2013 | Spring 2013 |
Fall 2010 | Spring 2010 |
Members and their patriot ancestors
nessar past presidents
In 1876 there were many celebrations to commemorate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. As part of this patriotic fervor, a group of men in the San Francisco, California, area who were descendants of patriots involved in the American Revolution, formed an organization called the Sons of
Revolutionary Sires. Their objective was to have a fraternal and civic society to salute those men and women who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the battle for independence from Great Britain. They desired to keep alive their ancestors’ story of patriotism and courage in the belief that it is a universal one of man’s struggle against
tyranny — a story which would inspire and sustain succeeding generations when they would have to defend and extend our freedoms.
Out of the Sires grew the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, which was organized on April 30, 1889 — the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as our nation’s first President. We have used the acronym SAR to identify ourselves for over 100 years. The SAR was conceived as a fraternal and civic society composed of lineal descendants of the men who wintered at Valley Forge, signed the Declaration of Independence, fought in the battles of the American Revolution, served in the Continental Congress, or otherwise supported the cause of American Independence. The National Society was chartered by an Act of the United States Congress on June 9, 1906. The
charter was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a member of the SAR. The charter authorizes the granting of charters to societies of the various states and territories and authorizes the state societies to charter chapters within their borders. Federal Legislation that established a federal charter for the National Society SAR.