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Henry Doorly, a native of Barbados, moved to Omaha while working as an engineer and then moved into the newspaper business. He became the chairperson of the World Publishing Company and publisher of the Omaha World-Herald in Omaha, Nebraska. Doorly worked for the company for 58 years, becoming a highly influential figure in the city.

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Born to Martin E. Doorly and Katherine Carrington in Barbados, Henry was educated at Harrison College in Bridgetown. From 1896 to 1898 he studied civil engineering in the West Indies. Arriving in Omaha in 1902 as a surveyor with the Union Pacific Railroad, he spent two years working as a draftsman with the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha. On September 7, 1904 Doorly married Margaret Hitchcock in Omaha, becoming the son-in-law of World-Herald publisher and politician Gilbert M. Hitchcock.

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During World War II, Doorly initiated and promoted the collection of used scrap iron from Nebraskans for the war effort. It was a great success, and the idea spread to other states. Doorly’s led a national campaign educating newspaper editors and publishers in promoting steel recycling to support the war. Doorly helped win the war!

One interesting story – Omaha University needed a new location for its campus. The college sought government funding for the new site at 60th & Dodge St in Omaha. Congress approved the grant. The bill landed on the desk of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his signature. Roosevelt asked an aide, “Who’s for this and who’s against it?” The aide responded, “Henry Doorly is very much opposed to it.” That’s all FDR needed to know; Roosevelt said, “I’ll sign it!” Doorly had a fine home next to the proposed campus. He didn’t want student traffic and student noise disturbing his quiet neighborhood. He had vigorously editorialized in his newspaper against Roosevelt’s election. Now his “political sins” were coming back to bite him. Not only was OU built near his small estate, but ‘fore long the growing campus gobbled up the Doorly estate.

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Doorly retired in 1955, then died in 1961 of an apparent heart attack. In 1963, his widow Margaret Hitchcock Doorly donated $750,000 (approximately $4.5 million in 2005 dollars) to the Omaha Zoological Society. With her donation, Doorly stipulated that the zoo be renamed in memory of her late husband. Henry Doorly Zoo has grown to one of the largest zoos in the world, and claimed a number of tourist magazines as the world’s best zoo.