A night honoring distinguished alumni and educators
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at Riverside Golf Club
5:30 pm Cocktails | 6:30 pm Dinner
Hall of Honor
The Hall of Honor, inaugurated in 1983, recognizes Grand Island Senior High School alumni
who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the betterment of society.
Steve Hornady
Class of 1968
Hall of Honor 2024
Lifelong Nebraska resident Steve Hornady has used his position as president of Hornady Manufacturing to advance causes around the world, across the nation and right in his own hometown. Born in 1949, Steve is a lifelong shooter, avid hunter and advocate for the shooting sports industry.
His career with the family business began in 1971, when Steve joined Pacific Tool Co., the reloading tool manufacturing company operated by Hornady. He became president of Hornady Manufacturing in 1981 after the tragic death of his father, company founder Joyce Hornady, in a plane crash. Under Steve’s leadership, the company continues to be an industry leader and innovator, experiencing significant growth in sales, product offerings and workforce.
An active advocate of the shooting sports industry, Steve is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, United States Practical Shooting Association, Amateur Trapshooting Association and both national wild sheep associations. He has served on the boards of the NRA, Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) and National Shooting Sports Foundation and was founding chairman of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund.
The Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence named Steve its 2005 Shooting Industry Man of the Year, and he was recognized by the NRA with the Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award in 2013. He received the Firearm Industry Trade Association’s highest honor, the Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2024.
The Hornady family was inducted into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame in 2024. Steve and Hornady Manufacturing have supported the GRACE Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society, donating over $1 million from sales of Critical Defense Lite ammunition.
A longtime supporter of the Hall County Hero Flights, Hornady donated $100,000 to the group’s effort to bring a federally funded state veterans cemetery to Grand Island. Steve has also supported Make-A-Wish, the Salvation Army, Central Nebraska Humane Society, Heartland United Way, CHAD (Combined Health Agencies Drive), Go Big Give, Leadership Unlimited, Hope Harbor and Willow Rising.
He has supported local youth through high school foundations, high school shooting sports and other programs, including the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Board and the Central Community College Advanced Manufacturing program.
In 2018, Hornady was named Business of the Year by the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp.
When not working at the factory in Grand Island, attending an industry event or hunting in some remote location, Steve can be found at his farm along the Platte River, his favorite place.
You are invited to attend the celebration.
Join the GIPS Foundation for an extraordinary event, Legends & Legacies. The Foundation is dedicated to honoring distinguished Grand Island Senior High Alumni to the Hall of Honor and celebrating our Legendary Educators. This event is a celebration of the remarkable individuals who have not only walked the hallowed halls of education but have also left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those they have touched. Join us as we celebrate these extraordinary alumni and the passionate educators. Legends & Legacies welcomes you to an evening of celebration, reflection, and recognition of those who have shaped the future through their commitment to knowledge and the pursuit of greatness.
Sponsors
Thank you to the Legends & Legacies sponsors. We appreciate you and your support of Grand Island Public Schools excellence.