Popularly identified as the program which gave 16-year-old Bill Clinton an opportunity to meet then President Kennedy in the White House Rose Garden, the American Legion Boys Nation program is a continuation at the national level of the various state-level Boys State programs.
In Nebraska, two outstanding citizens of Cornhusker Boys’ State are selected by a vote of the 32-member town counseling staff. These two Boys Nation Senators are judged to be those most capable of representing our program in Washington D.C., where they will enjoy an expenses-paid opportunity to learn about the federal government.
Boys Nation is held annually in July, approximately six weeks after Cornhusker Boys’ State.
VIDEO: A Future President Meets JFK.

A teenage Bill Clinton shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy on July 24, 1963. Photo: Arnold Sachs/Getty Images.
Nebraska Boys Nation Senators:
1946 | GILBERT EGGEN | NORFOLK | NORFOLK HS |
RICHARD KUSKA | OMAHA | unk | |
1947 | SID JOHNSON | NORFOLK | NORFOLK HS |
DELWYN NAGENGAST | HOWELLS | unk | |
1948 | PON CHINN | NORTH PLATTE | NORTH PLATTE HS |
ROBERT GILMORE | OMAHA | BENSON HS | |
1949 | JIM LANCASTER | KEARNEY | KEARNEY HS |
WILLIAM E JAMES | PALMER | PALMER HS | |
1950 | BILL BURKE | OMAHA | CENTRAL HS |
JERRY BARTON | GERING | unk | |
1951 | MICHAEL YANNEY | KEARNEY | unk |
PAUL BUNGE | AUBURN | unk | |
1952 | CRAIG SVOBODA | NORFOLK | unk |
DON BECK | FREMONT | unk | |
1953 | CHARLES LARSON | OMAHA | NORTH HS |
DIRK YOUNG | IMPERIAL | CHASE CO HS | |
1954 | BRUCE FLEMING | OMAHA | NORTH HS |
TOM GILLILAND | SIDNEY | unk | |
1955 | DON NELSON | LINCOLN | unk |
ROBERT STONER | KENESAW | unk | |
1956 | WILLIAM BAUER | MCCOOK | unk |
ROGER HOLTHAUS | HASTINGS | unk | |
1957 | RICHARD STUCKEY | LEXINGTON | unk |
JIM KIRKMAN, JR | NORTH PLATTE | unk | |
1958 | JOHN ROGER MYERS | GRAND ISLAND | GRAND ISLAND HS |
SIDNEY R HENDERSON | SCOTTSBLUFF | SCOTTSBLUFF HS | |
1959 | DOUGLAS BUSSKOHL | NORFOLK | unk |
FRANK SOBOTA | SCHUYLER | unk | |
1960 | MICHAEL MCINTOSH | FREMONT | unk |
STEVE MARTIN | GRAND ISLAND | unk | |
1961 | KERMIT BRASHEAR | CRAWFORD | CRAWFORD HS |
CHRIS BEUTLER | OMAHA | BENSON HS | |
1962 | FEDRICO MARQUES | HERSHEY | HERSHEY HS |
ROBERT HARRIS | LINCOLN | SOUTHEAST HS | |
1963 | GEROLD GDOWSKI | GENOA | GENOA HS |
TOMMI THOMPSON | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS | |
1964 | ROGER STARK | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS |
KENT HASSELBALCH | ST EDWARD | ST EDWARD HS | |
1965 | RANDALL REEVES | OMAHA | BENSON HS |
TERRY PETRZELKA | PRAGUE | unk | |
1966 | JOHN SIMON | FALLS CITY | SACRED HEART HS |
RALPH EICKHOFF | COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS HS | |
1967 | MAX LINDER | PLATTSMOUTH | PLATTSMOUTH HS |
HOWARD WIGERT | MITCHELL | MITCHELL HS | |
1968 | DAVE HOLST | HASTINGS | HASTINGS HS |
GARY PAPKE | LINCOLN | NORTHEAST HS | |
1969 | DAVE MORRISON | KEARNEY | unk |
LEE NEWCOMER | YORK | unk | |
1970 | STEVE ANDREWS | LINCOLN | SOUTHEAST HS |
SCOTT BYE | KEARNEY | KEARNEY HS | |
1971 | LEE BUSSELMAN | HOOPER | unk |
TOM CAMP | KEARNEY | unk | |
1972 | REG GAST | LINCOLN | EAST HS |
SCOTT JAMES | OMAHA | BENSON HS | |
1973 | DAN ROH | ABIE | DAVID CITY AQUINAS HS |
MARK STORTVEDT | NORFOLK | NORFOLK HS | |
1974 | TIM GREEN | OMAHA | NORTHWEST HS |
JAY MATZKE | SIDNEY | SIDNEY HS | |
1975 | JAMES DUNNING | OMAHA | NORTHWEST HS |
KENNETH B NUNN | OMAHA | TECH HS | |
1976 | KEN ALLEN | OMAHA | CENTRAL HS |
KARL SCHOLZ | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS | |
JOHN VISTY | OMAHA | GROSS HS | |
1977 | ROBIN K METER | GERING | MELBETA HS |
JOHN L VITEK | LINCOLN | EAST HS | |
1978 | BILL WHEELER | GRAND ISLAND | GRAND ISLAND HS |
BARNABY SPRING | BOYSTOWN | BOYSTOWN HS | |
1979 | BRUCE CROWTHER | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS |
DAVID POPPE | SCRIBNER | SCRIBNER HS | |
1980 | KENT KINZER | COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS HS |
RANDAL MESKE | FREMONT | FREMONT HS | |
1981 | DAVID J NASHELSKY | SCOTTSBLUFF | SCOTTSBLUFF HS |
CRAIG W CARLSON | OMAHA | MILLARD HS | |
1982 | PATRICK J COMBS | MALCOLM | MALCOLM HS |
BRYAN C HOWELL | PAPILLION | PAPILLION HS | |
1983 | TUCKER B MAGID | OMAHA | WESTSIDE HS |
KEVIN M SALTZMAN | OMAHA | BURKE HS | |
1984 | DANIEL E MILLER | GRAND ISLAND | GRAND ISLAND HS |
KERMIT BRASHEAR, III | LINCOLN | NORTHEAST HS | |
1985 | TIM MULLIGAN | MURDOCK | MURDOCK HS |
DAN SIDNER | KEARNEY | KEARNEY HS | |
1986 | JOHN T MOORE, JR | HICKMAN | NORRIS HS |
MARK W BODE | LINCOLN | EAST HS | |
1987 | JOHN MAISCH | GRAND ISLAND | GRAND ISLAND HS |
J F HOFFMAN | HOLBROOK | CAMBRIDGE HS | |
1988 | TODD HEYNE | OSHKOSH | GARDEN COUNTY HS |
JONATHAN BAUER | OMAHA | MILLARD NORTH HS | |
1989 | BENJAMIN SASSE | FREMONT | FREMONT HS |
KEVIN CALDWELL | OMAHA | MILLARD SOUTH HS | |
1990 | CHARLES MCCLENDON | OMAHA | BRYAN HS |
NATHAN SPILKER | DEWITT | WILBER-CLATONIA HS | |
1991 | TODD RIDDLE | LINCOLN | LINCOLN PIUS X HS |
LANCE SCHAECHER | BATTLE CREEK | BATTLE CREEK HS | |
1992 | JASON SHARP | OMAHA | MILLARD NORTH HS |
SCOTT DAY | WAYNE | WAYNE HS | |
1993 | JOSHUA VOLLERTSEN | PALMYRA | PALMYRA HS |
ANDREW FISCHER | VALLEY | VALLEY HS | |
1994 | MATTHEW WILSON | OMAHA | ELKHORN MT MICHAEL HS |
ANDREW BRADLEY | GRAND ISLAND | GRAND ISLAND HS | |
1995 | HAL HANSEN | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS |
TIMOTHY BEARD | LINCOLN | SOUTHEAST HS | |
1996 | BRANDON KATZBERG | JUNIATA | ADAMS CENTRAL HS |
ERIK GERMAN | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS | |
1997 | MICHAEL SHEARER | NORTH PLATTE | NORTH PLATTE HS |
BENJAMIN MCCARTY | GRAND ISLAND | CENTRAL CATHOLIC HS | |
1998 | DAVID C RENNARD | OMAHA | CENTRAL HS |
NATHAN R TODD | NORTH PLATTE | NORTH PLATTE HS | |
1999 | REESE A PEARSON | DAVENPORT | DAVENPORT HS |
BRENT HOOPS | COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS HS | |
2000 | ERIC A ASBOE | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS |
JACOB F HOPPE | LINCOLN | EAST HS | |
2001 | BENJAMIN J KEELE | HASTINGS | HASTINGS HS |
ANDREW C CULP | OMAHA | MILLARD NORTH HS | |
2002 | CALE W FARQUHAR | ELM CREEK | ELM CREEK HS |
ANTHONY L HERRON JR | OMAHA | BURKE HS | |
2003 | DAVID M SLOBOTSKI | OMAHA | NORTHWEST HS |
JEREMY HUTCHESON | GORDON | GORDON HS | |
2004 | BURKE BOURNE | OMAHA | MILLARD NORTH HS |
ED JAROS | LINCOLN | LINCOLN PIUS X HS | |
2005 | PHONG TRAN | LINCOLN | LINCOLN HS |
E ALEXANDER MUNSON | HARRISON | SIOUX COUNTY HS | |
2006 | WESLEY PRATER | ELGIN | ELGIN HS |
JUSTIN L GREEN | SUTTON | SUTTON HS | |
2007 | JED DUSH | ELBA | ELBA HS |
DAVID APPLEGARTH | OMAHA | MILLARD WEST HS | |
2008 | LUKE HAWBAKER | OMAHA | OMAHA CENTRAL HS |
WADE KELLETT | PAPILLION | PAPILLION-LAVISTA HS | |
2009 | EDSON DE OLIVEIRA | EWING | EWING HS |
BRYCE CAIN | OMAHA | OMAHA BURKE HS | |
2010 | ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ | MADISON | MADISON HS |
BENJAMIN CRELIN | LINCOLN | LINCOLN SOUTHWEST HS | |
2011 | CHRISTIAN MAPES | OMAHA | CREIGHTON PREP HS |
LUKAS FRICKE | ULYLLES | DAVID CITY HS | |
2012 | HENRY HAWBAKER | OMAHA | OMAHA CENTRAL HS |
ROBERT LEDDY | OMAHA | CREIGHTON PREP HS | |
2013 | JOHN M HOGUE | OMAHA | CREIGHTON PREP HS |
DAVIS C ERKER | OMAHA | CREIGHTON PREP HS | |
2014 | JOSEPH FERRIS | OMAHA | OMAHA CENTRAL HS |
MICHAEL KELLY | OMAHA | OMAHA CENTRAL HS | |
2015 | BRODEY WEBER | LINCOLN | LINCOLN NORTH STAR HS |
CODY SCHEELE | ODELL | DILLER-ODELL HS | |
2016 | JACOB GIDEON | OMAHA | ELKHORN SOUTH HS |
CHOTEAU KAMMEL | OMAHA | OMAHA CENTRAL HS | |
2017 | MICHAEL MCCLELLEN | OMAHA | CREIGHTON PREP HS |
NICHOLAS KOHLER | OMAHA | OMAHA CENTRAL HS | |
2018 | CALEB HENDRICKSON | SHICKLEY | SHICKLEY HS |
SEBASTIAN BOELHOWER | HASTINGS | ADAMS CENTRAL HS | |
2019 | FLOPATEER HABIB | WAVERLY | WAVERLY HS |
ETHAN GOLDFISH VINSON | COLUMBUS | LAKEVIEW HS | |
2022 | HOLDEN FERSHEE | OMAHA | OMAHA CENTRAL HS |
VIKRAM MENON | OMAHA | MILLARD NORTH HS | |
2023 | PORTER NELSON | LINCOLN | LINCOLN SOUTHEAST HS |
NAYAN VEL | OMAHA | MILLARD NORTH HS |

National Commander Michael D. Helm is presented a Boys Nation polo by Nebraska delegates Brodey Brian Weber and Cody James Scheele at Greenbelt Post 136 on Sunday, July 19, 2015. Photo by Lucas Carter.