Father Flanagan Distinguished Alumnus Award - July 2022

Dan Chesire, 1965

dan-chesire-for-programDANIEL P. “DAN” CHESIRE, CLASS OF 1965, arrived at Boys Town on June 21, 1955 with his brother Jim, Class of 1963, from Omaha, Nebraska after the death of his mother in 1954. His father, an attorney in Omaha, was unable to care for the seven children and so Dan, the youngest of the children in the Chesire family along with four of his brothers would call Boys Town home for nearly 10 years. While at Boys Town Chesire was active in Boys Town’s program of self- government serving as councilman and commissioner and was a class officer all four years of high school. He pursued an academic course of study, lettered in football and track and was an altar boy.  As a youth he developed a strong reliance on prayer and God to provide guidance for him and his life.
Chesire recalls that Monsignor Wegner, Director of Boys Town, tried to convince him to become a priest because he saw how Chesire relied on prayer and faith and had many interactions with him in his role as an altar boy. After much discussion he convinced Msgr. Wegner that the priesthood was not for him. He remained close to Msgr. Wegner and was able to visit with him just prior to his death in 1975.
Upon graduation Chesire attended college at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, joining his brother John who was an upperclassman at the time. After graduating from Notre Dame he returned to Omaha and became a teacher in the Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic elementary school system where he taught 8th grade science, art and physical education. His next job was as an admissions counselor and Dean of Students at Bellevue College. It was at this time that Chesire, anticipating that he would be drafted in the U.S. Army, he enlisted in the Army and was eventually stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. He and his wife Nora were able to take advantage of the opportunity for travel while in Europe and enjoyed their tour very much visiting the many capitols of Europe.
In 1973, with an Army Commendation Medal Award and an honorable discharge in hand, Chesire returned to Omaha and enrolled in Law School at Creighton University. He graduated Cum Laude in 1976 with his Juris Doctorate and began the practice of law. He had a career as an attorney in Omaha and was a senior partner with the law firm of Lamson, Dugan and Murray. Chesire is a trial lawyer and handles civil cases. He was the President of the Nebraska Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and in 2008 was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. He served on the Douglas County District Court Judicial Nomination Committee and has served in a similar capacity for the Supreme Court Judicial Nomination Committee for the state of Nebraska. In 1991 he was inducted into the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, a group of only 1000 lawyers nationwide and has served as the State Representative. Chesire has been selected as a Great Plains Super Lawyer by his peers and was selected for the Best Lawyers’ Group as “Lawyer of the Year for 2015”.
Chesire retained his love of sports over the years and ran marathons competing in the Lincoln and Omaha marathons annually over a 15 year period. He enjoys golf with his two children. He is an avid reader. Chesire is very active in his church, St. Stephen The Martyr, continuing his lifelong involvement with his faith that reaches all the way back to his days at Boys Town.  He was the Boys Town National Alumni Association representative on the Father Flanagan League Society of Devotion Board of Directors working diligently to advance the cause for sainthood for our beloved founder.
Chesire and his wife Nora have two children, Rob and Jeff. He is a Lifetime Member of the Boys Town National Alumni Association.