Nancy Hoch, one of the first women to be elected to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, died Wednesday in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She was 84.
Hoch, who was born and spent most of her life in Nebraska City, was elected to the Board in 1982, joining Margaret Robinson in becoming the first women to serve as NU regents. Hoch served from 1983 to 1995.
She also was part of the NU President’s Advisory Council, the Nebraska Alumni Association, UNMC’s Board of Counselors and other university organizations, according to her obituary. Hoch attended the University of Nebraska before graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in political science.
Hoch received the Nebraska City Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Award in 1983 and was a member of the Nebraska City Rotary Club, the first woman in Nebraska to join a Rotary club.
She was Nebraska’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 1984, and two years later, she became one of the first women to run for governor in Nebraska. She was involved in numerous civic causes focusing on economic development, the arts, libraries, housing, children and families, and other areas.
“Nancy Hoch was a true Nebraska pioneer and a dedicated public servant,” said University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter. “She clearly cared deeply about the value of education, and our communities are stronger today thanks to her decades of service to a rich array of civic causes. We’re keeping Nancy’s family and friends in our thoughts.”
Hoch was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Hoch. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Nebraska City Veterans Memorial Building Project. More information is available here.