Through These Halls: General John J Pershing

Unquestionably, one of the University of Nebraska’s most famous alums is General John J Pershing. Pershing was a Professor of Military Science and Tactics from 1891-1895 at Nebraska. Simultaneously, he attended the law college and received his bachelor of law degree in 1893.

The picture below is from the 1892 Cornhusker yearbook.

General Pershing was born in 1860 in Missouri as the oldest of nine children. Three of his siblings died as children. In his early life he worked in his father’s store and on the farm. Some land speculation on the part of his father resulted in difficult economic times.