Alice Dittman was honored with the Woman of the Year award at the fifth annual Inspire Awards in September 2019. As a pioneer in the banking industry, Alice became the first female president of Cornhusker Bank in 1975, and the first woman to serve as any bank president in Lincoln or Omaha. She was recognized by Inspire not only for her accomplishments and leadership within the banking and business worlds, but also for her
active involvement in various community organizations.
At a young age, Alice developed a passion for entrepreneurship. Her father provided her with a case of Coca-Cola in glass bottles, which she loaded into a small red wagon and pulled around the neighborhood. She sold the beverages at a modest markup, generating enough profit for a new case and the opportunity to continue the sales cycle. “I sold pop door-to-door when I was five years old out of a little wagon, and that turned out quite well. Opportunities have multiplied for women since those days,” she said in 2018. “I never thought about being first, I just did it. I’d walk into a room full of men, say ‘Hi,’ and put my hand out. I always did my homework and arrived prepared. A strong work ethic is part of
anyone’s success.”
Throughout her career, she achieved many firsts. She was the first woman to chair the Bryan Hospital Board of Directors, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, and the Community Bankers Council. In 2011, Alice established the $1 million Alice’s Integrity Loan Fund at the Lincoln Community Foundation to provide financial and educational support for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. She also demonstrated her commitment to philanthropy and community engagement as an active supporter of United Way, the Girl Scout Council, and numerous other organizations.
Angie Muhleisen, former president and CEO of Union Bank & Trust and the 2022 Inspire Woman of the Year, said, “Alice took time to serve on boards, mentor women, give generously to charities, and she did all of that while being a devoted mother and wife.” After graduating from Lincoln High School in 1948, Alice received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also completed the Harvard/Radcliffe Post Graduate Program in Business Administration in 1953. Alice passed away in 2023 at the age of 92. She is remembered as a trailblazer who supported the professional advancement of both men and women throughout the community. According to her son, John Dittman, work was never a drudgery for her. “It was fun. It was exciting. It was joyful, and it was an adventure.”
