The Munroe-Meyer Institute today stands on the shoulders of giants who formed the foundations of the institute across generations. MMI Time Capsule is a periodic feature to recognize that history.
C. Louis Meyer was born in 1886 and went on to graduate with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Nebraska.
Professionally, he founded Ceco Steel in 1912, and his business manufactured products used in the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Tribune Building in Chicago.
In 1946, Meyer founded the C. Louis Meyer Family Foundation with wife Mary Luman Meyer. He also was a founding trustee of Omaha’s original Children’s Memorial Hospital. In support of the Nebraska Easter Seals affiliate, Meyer donated all furnishings when the organization established a new office.
Meyer died in 1953. After his death, his widow Mary was the principal donor of the C. Louis Meyer Memorial Therapy Center for Children on UNMC’s campus in 1956.
Today, the Meyer Foundation for Disabilities is a key supporting board of the Munroe-Meyer Institute. The Meyer Foundation for Disabilities is dedicated to enhancing the lives of the thousands of adults with disabilities in the Omaha metro area by offering them recreational, social and life skills programs.
The Meyer Foundation supports programs at the institute including: Cooking classes, dance and swim lessons, group outings and reading clubs.
From “A Century of Caring: The History of the Munroe-Meyer Institute.”