A ‘big catch’ fish story: How the channel catfish became a Nebraska symbol

OMAHA, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) — It’s not often a fourth-grader probes deep into state history with a query like: Why doesn’t Nebraska have an official state fish?

Or so thought Valley Elementary teacher Sandy Perry back in late 1996, when Robby Brokaw posed the question to his class of 9- and 10-year-olds.

“Wonderful,” Perry said, recalling the moment. “We decided to explore it.” 

What transpired over the next year or so was an unexpected “wild ride” filled with real-world civics and classroom lessons that started with the kids’ research on which finned creature deserved the status as a state symbol. Their choice: the channel catfish. 

On to the Legislature

The 17 youngsters took their case to the state Capitol, where laws are made. They met with legislators, got to know the governor, learned about lobbying, politics and compromise — even took a few hard knocks along the way.

In the end, the legislation shepherded by the students’ state senator was amended to make the governor solely responsible for designating state symbols. Then-Gov. Ben Nelson soon declared the channel catfish as Nebraska’s official state fish.

On Saturday Aug. 12, in honor of the recent 25th anniversary, the fish story — a whopper “this big” — is to be celebrated during Valley Days in Valley, Neb.

Many of the fourth-graders, now about 35 years old, will march in the parade alongside their now-retired teacher. They’ll carry banners featuring the whiskered friend they boosted to local fame.

At 1 p.m., the group will present memorabilia from their adventure to the Valley Community Historical Museum, where it will be preserved and shared with a larger fan pool.

The museum entourage is to include former State Sen. Carol Hudkins of Malcolm, who sponsored Legislative Bill 106, and the school principal at the time, Duane Krusemark. (Footnote: The fourth-graders were the last graduating class of Valley High School, in 2005, before consolidation and renaming the school district as Douglas County West.) 

History-making career highlight

Perry told the Nebraska Examiner this week that the catfish chapter was a high point of her teaching career and a history-making lesson for students, who basked in a media spotlight of their own.

Rian Durham, one of those students, remains so impressed with the whole thing that he drove 20 hours from New York to participate in Saturday’s events. In particular, he wants to give a tribute to his teacher whose methods, he said, helped build skills that paved a path to his Broadway-focused advertising career.

“It has stuck with me for 25 years,” said Durham, now 36. 

He said confidence, public speaking and tenacity — “the idea of committing to something and doing it to your fullest potential” — are among the traits instilled in them during the Perry era.

“A teacher can stick to the lesson plan, but she gave this incredible experience,” said Durham. “It is something so indelible, impactful — it changed Nebraska history.”

At the museum event, Durham and Perry are to be part of a small cast that shares memories of the journey.

Among highlights, Perry said, were efforts to build support statewide. 

Students sent roughly 250 letters to fourth-grade classrooms in every legislative district, imploring peers to write their senators to ask for backing.

The youths traveled to Lincoln to testify before lawmakers, honing their speaking and persuasion skills ahead of time with a mock public hearing in school.

A favorite memory of Durham’s, he said, was captured in a photo of him in an oversized chair, pressing his case to a legislative committee. Supporters were behind him, including teacher Perry and legislator Hudkins, sporting smiles of pride.

“I have this look that said, ‘Ok, try me, I’m going to get this bill passed,’ ” he said with a chuckle.

Not all were enamored, though.

Perry recalled then-State Sen. Ernie Chambers as being the loudest opponent, criticizing the bill as “nonsense,” and not a good use of lawmaker time. The Omaha senator threatened to “savage” and “ridicule” such proposals if advanced to full debate.

 “For me, I loved it, this gave students opportunities to see both sides,” said Perry.

State symbol solidified

After the final version of the law was adopted, putting the power of designating state symbols in the governor’s hands, Nelson paid a visit to Valley public schools. 

During that August 1997 assembly, the students learned that another part of their quest — to name corn as the state’s official crop — would not come to be. (Nelson thought it could be divisive in the farming community.)

“But the channel catfish was a big catch,” said Perry, adding that the students’ “angling” had paid off. Topping off their win was a letter to the class from President Bill Clinton.

The fish story lived on beyond the splash of 1997. It was included in the Nebraska Storytelling Association festival of 1999, Perry said, and in 2007 made it into a book by Rajean Luebs Shepherd.

Reflecting on the period, a few of the students said they felt like movie stars. But they said the “big catch” took a lot of their time, and patience.

Said Justine Dunker, about age 10 when a reporter asked what she had learned: “It’s a lot of hard work to make laws.”