Lynn Broyhill's Life and Tragedy

Lynn Diann Broyhill was born in Sioux City, Iowa, and grew up in Dakota City, Nebraska. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy F. Broyhill. She graduated third in her class in 1963 at South Sioux High School, and then chose to attend the University of Nebraska to study design merchandising in home economics.

While she attended the University of Nebraska, Lynn Broyhill was very involved around campus, as she was a member of a variety of organizations. Ms. Broyhill was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, where she held several positions, including vice president. She was also the vice president and honorary Lieutenant Colonel of Cadence Countesses, and was a member of the Nebraska Union Hospitality Committee, the Talks and Topics Committee, Kernels, Tassels, and the Young Republicans. Lynn was also a finalist for honorary sponsor of the Pershing Rifles, held several offices in the International Order of the Rainbow Girls and served as Grand Worthy Advisor of Nebraska, was a Cherry Blossom Princess at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., and was also an Aksarben countess-elect. (Program)

Ms. Broyhill and one of her fellow Pi Beta Phi sorority sisters, Jean Higgins of Schuyler, Nebraska, were traveling to Omaha, Nebraska, on September 8, 1966. They planned to purchase dresses in preparations for the upcoming Aksarben Ball, where Lynn would be honored as a countess-elect. Lynn Broyhill was the passenger in Higgin's vehicle as the two made the trip.

Higgins and Broyhill were attempting to pass another automobile when the vehicle they were traveling in collided with the right rear of a state truck that had been parked partially in the passing lane due to highway construction near Waverly. A devastating crash ensued; Lynn Broyhill was pronouced dead at the scene. Jean Higgins was critically injured and, because of injuries related to her accident, was forced to reside at the Madonna Care Center in Lincoln until her death in December of 1977. (Driver's)

Honoring a Legacy, a Call to Action

After the tragic death of their daughter, the Broyhill family wanted a way for Lynn Diann Broyhill to be remembered on the University of Nebraska campus. They opted to have a fountain built near the Nebraska Union to honor her legacy. Through the family's $15,000 donation, a beautiful fountain was constructed on campus. The Broyhill Fountain aimed to be a tranquil yet inviting 'extension' of the Nebraska Union that welcomed all people on the University of Nebraska campus to utilize and enjoy it. (Broyhill)

Designed by Howard Stong, the circular fountain measured 48 feet in diameter and was surrounded by concrete seating, so visitors could enjoy its sights and sounds. The main core of the fountain produced a cone of water 20 feet high and 12 feet in diameter. It also featured 12 smaller water jets that could be adjusted to produce a variety of shapes as well as size adjustments in relation to the wind.

The fountain also contained several underwater lights that could produce a variety of colors and lit up the fountain in the night. It also contained a special heating system, so the fountain could be functional year-round. (Miller)

The newly constructed fountain built in honor of the late Lynn Diann Broyhill was dedicated during Homecoming Week 1970. On Saturday, November 14, at 11 A.M., a ceremony was held to honor Ms. Broyhill and officially unveil the new Broyhill Fountain in the Union Memorial Plaza.

The ceremony itself was hosted by the Cadence Countesses, Nebraska Union Board, and Pi Beta Phi Sorority. The Nebraska Union Board Chairman, Andrew Cunningham, emceed the dedication. The fountain was presented by Diane Hyde, president of Pi Beta Phi, and was accepted by President Joseph Soshnik. The Broyhill Fountain was activated by the Vice President of the Board of Regents,  Dr. B.N. Greenberg, and Roy Broyhill, the father of Lynn Broyhill. Music at the dedication ceremony was provided by the University of Nebraska's Varsity Men's Glee Club.

A luncheon following the presentation recognized the Broyhill family's contributions to the University. (Program)

The Fountain Closing & How it Looks Today

The original Broyhill Fountain stood as the focal point of the Union Memorial Plaza on the University of Nebraska's city campus for over 25 years. In 1996, plans for the expansion of the existing Nebraska Union called for the destruction of the fountain to create room.

The announcement of the fountain's closing caused an uproar among students who were upset a staple of the city campus would be destructed. Many students recalled the hours spent studying at the fountain's ledges, the several amusing (and illegal) midnight swims students had risked punishment and embarked on, and the numerous cheap, yet romantic dates that had taken place at the fountain over the years. Students of the past and at the time were very sad to learn the Broyhill Fountain, which served as a daily reminder of those memories, would disappear. (Kerber)

Plans had begun for a newly designed fountain to be constructed along with the Nebraska Union renovations, and the Broyhill family was included in its design proposals. When the fountain was shut off for the final time in October 1996, progress on the new Broyhill Fountain started immediately after the old fountain's destruction.

Along with a newly renovated Nebraska Union came a newly constructed Broyhill Fountain, completed in the spring of 1999. This remodeled Broyhill Fountain was rededicated in a ceremony on April 15 of that year.

The new fountain featured a more contemporary design, yet was still just as inviting and enjoyable as the original Broyhill Fountain. Along with jets of water that spray into the air and lights that feature its brilliance at night, the newly constructed Broyhill Fountain also contains several large rocks that students have been known to climb on to dip their feet in the water. Students have been pleased overall with the Broyhill Fountain's new look and many spend their time near it studying, talking with friends, or perhaps, like students of the past, partaking in more not-so-legal midnight swims. (Daehn)

Although the Broyhill Fountain appears differently today than it was originally constructed, it still stands as a reminder and commemeration to honor the memory of a student who had tragically passed away, Lynn Diann Broyhill. Even though not everyone may be aware of the story behind the fountain, there is a respect for its peacefulness and beauty, and it remains one of the focal points of the University of Nebraska's campus.