USA NEBRASKA : Nebraska State Song
State Song of Nebraska
Beautiful Nebraska

• Author: James Fras (1925-2002), Guy Gage Miller (1922-1986)
• Composer: James Fras (1925-2002)
• Adopted: June 21 1967
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• Further details: JAMES FRAS (1925-2002) was born in the Soviet Union and he came to Lincoln (Nebraska) in 1952. He has had a variety of jobs, ranging from janitor for a candy company to having his own radio variety show.
  
  'Beautiful Nebraska' was created after he took a ride in the country. He noted the wave of the wheat fields, saw the green valleys and "loved everything I saw."
  The music was written entirely by him. GUY GAGE MILLER (1922-1986), a Lincoln friend, helped with the words, which James says "are about 85% percent mine."
  This was James's second attempt to have his selection accepted by the Legislature. In 1963, he was unable even to get a committee to "listen to my music." Two years later, the Centennial Commission indicated it would take over the project. The official song ran into more controversy within the commission. It was probably academic when the Legislature finally selected his song in the summer of 1967. Before it acted, many schools were already singing the words.
  
  OMISSION The sheet music does not give the year of death of the joint author and composer which was in 2002.