This is the landing page for Weird Creighton History, a new podcast exploring the more peculiar corners of Creighton University's sometimes strange past. Weird Creighton History is hosted by two weird Creighton employees — longtime alum/writer/editor Rick Davis and wannabe historian Micah Mertes. Have a good story for the podcast? Share it with micahmertes@creighton.edu.
Episode 14 — Father Markoe and the DePorres Club
On a new episode of Weird Creighton History, Rick and Micah speak with local writer Matt Holland about civil rights pioneer Fr. John Markoe, SJ, a beloved and influential Jesuit who worked for Creighton University. Markoe is best known for founding the Omaha DePorres Club, whose members worked to fight for civil rights in North Omaha and encourage businesses to change racially discriminatory practices.
Be sure to attend the event Righting History: The Markoe Collection and the Omaha DePorres Club on Sept. 28 at the Revive Center to learn more about Markoe and the private collection of materials that Holland recently donated to Creighton.
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This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episodes 11, 12 and 13 — The Most Notorious Book Thief
Law-abiding library patrons Rick and Micah discuss Creighton's relation to the academic crime of the century: the Iowa man who stole 26,000 rare books and manuscripts from about 300 university libraries across the U.S. The collection — estimated at anywhere from $5.3 million to $40 million — made Stephen Carrie Blumberg the most prolific book thief in world history.
After Blumberg's 1990 arrest, a group of Creighton librarians helped the FBI return thousands of books to their rightful owners. This drew Blumberg's ire, and he warned Creighton that the Reinert library would be the next target of one of his elaborate heists.
More than 30 years later, as a Creighton archivist, professor and class of students recently discovered, this story is far from finished.
Check out parts 1, 2 and 3 of the series below.
You can listen on the player below or your favorite podcasting app.
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This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episode 10 — The Fountain, the Mall and the naked sculpture
With the St. John's Fountain and Plaza under renovations (and it being the 30-year anniversary of the Eternal Flame sculpture), Rick and Micah decided to explore the history of Creighton's fountain and Mall and ended up talking a bunch about a controversial nude sculpture and its long, sad campus journey. Some weird details here. Did you know they once wanted to put a pond/ice-skating rink on the Mall next to Gallagher? You can read a whole bunch about the fountain's history (and see dozens of photos) here.
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This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episode 9 — Returning to the Old Gym, 75 years later
We're gonna start doing more Weird Creighton History episodes that bring in folks besides just Micah and Rick. No offense to them, but c'mon, they're not the only two people in the world. For this episode, Micah interviewed Doug Ryan as he was taking a tour of campus. Doug, 86, is a lovely guy. He basically grew up on campus, with Creighton Stadium and Old Gym as his childhood playground. He was also a waterboy for the Creighton men's basketball team (in the 1940s!). Hear what Doug has to say about his first visit to campus in nearly 75 years. And be sure to read the story about Doug here.
- Read all about Doug Ryan, his return to campus and his many memories of Creighton basketball history.
- See our gallery of archives images of the Old Gym.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episode 8 — The bomb, the boss, the Jesuit, the shadow
The story of Creighton's Jesuit astronomer Fr. William Rigge, SJ, who — in 1910 and 1911 — became one of the first expert witnesses in an American criminal trial. Using a shadow in a photograph, Fr. Rigge helped an Omaha attorney (and Creighton parent) exonerate a man charged with planting a bomb on the front porch of Omaha crime boss Tom Dennison. This episode's got it all.
You can listen on the player below or your favorite podcasting app.
- See photos and headlines of and about the bomb, the boss, the Jesuit and the shadow.
- Listen to past Weird Creighton History episodes in our archive.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episodes 5, 6 and 7: Creighton's 2023 anniversaries
Another year, another list of Creighton anniversaries. In this three-part series of episodes, Rick and Micah cover such historic events as ... the birth of the Bluejay, the start of women's sports, the arrival of air conditing in Swanson Hall and the belated graduation of an alum whom Eisenhower called "the man who won the war." See our series of articles on 2023 Creighton anniversaries here.
You can listen on the player below or your favorite podcasting app.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episode 4: A Weird Creighton Christmas
Dreaming of a weird Christmas? You're in luck. We've got a two-part Weird Creighton Christmas extravaganza. Part 1 recounts strange tales of Creighton Christmases past — like the 2000 Christmas tree controversy and the story of the campus Grinch who stole (then returned) Christmas. For Part 2, we It's-a-Wonderful-Life Creighton, by asking ... "What would the world be like if the University had never existed?" A few alums shared their responses! You can read more about how the campus found Christmas here.
You can listen on the player below or your favorite podcasting app.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episode 3: The Alum who Saved 200,000 lives
He was one of the most consequential individuals ever to graduate from Creighton University, though few know his name. In a not-weird (though inspiring and heartrending) episode of Weird Creighton History, Rick and Micah explore the life of John Pehle, a man whose actions helped save the lives of 200,000 European Jews during WWII.
You can listen on the player below or your favorite podcasting app.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episode 2: The Exorcists
Rick and Micah explore Creighton University's connection (via three Jesuits) to the exorcism that inspired the book and movie The Exorcist.
This podcast is made possible by the University Archives and Special Collections, the keeper of Creighton's history. Please consider making a gift to the Archives and helping us preserve Creighton’s amazing story for generations to come.
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Episode 1: The Manure
In their first episode, Micah tells Rick the forgotten tale of the big pile of manure left on Creighton's doorstep and how it changed the face of campus forever. (Check out accompanying images to the story.)
You can listen on the player below or your favorite podcasting app.
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