Lawrence Bruner (1856-1937)

Lawrence Bruner, professor of entomology at the University of Nebraska, was born in l856 in Pennsylvania and as an infant came to Nebraska with his parents. One of the first students at the University of Nebraska, where his father had been appointed a regent, Bruner enrolled at the university at the age of l5. After teaching school for a few years, he was employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a field agent for the university. He served as an entomologist for the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station from 1888 to 1890. Bruner was an instructor at the university from 1890 to l895 and a professor there from 1895 to 1923. For two years (1897-1898) he did entomological research in South America.

A promoter of Sand Hills tree planting, Bruner agreed to furnish land he owned in Holt County for experimental planting in 1891. This was a success and showed that the Sand Hills were suitable for growing evergreen trees.

Bruner was the author of several books on entomology and on agriculture. He represented Nebraska at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915.

Bruner died on January 30, 1937 at Berkeley, California. In 1938 he was voted into the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement.