The University of Nebraska Press published Robert Manley's Centennial History of the University of Nebraska in 1969. The entire volume is available for reading and searching through a web browser. Thanks to our "Transcribe Our Past" volunteers.

Manley's goals for the history included "three things: - The story of the University's evolvement; - Its uniqueness because of it's setting on the frontier; - The relation of the University to the history of the state and its impact on that history." (Daily Nebraskan, Sept. 23, 1965)

Manley's work illustrated the critical need for primary resources to write the history and story of the university. This in turn, supported discussions between Frank Lundy, Dean of Libraries, and James Olson, chair of the Department of History, about developing an archive and hiring an archivist. See "University Archives, More Than 50"

Manley served as a professor of history at the University of Nebraska and at Hiram Scott College. In addition, he taught high school history, served as historian for the Stuhr Museum, and worked for Nebraska Educational Television and the Nebraska Economic Development. He died on October 22, 2008.