Biography —Everett C. Madson
Everett "Buzz" Madson MD was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. Following graduation from Omaha’s Benson High School, he enrolled as a pre-medical student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa; BS 1966). While an undergraduate student at UNL, Buzz played on the freshman football team, served as president of the Interfraternity Council and belonged to Kosmet Klub, Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and the Innocents Society. Buzz attended Case-Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland, Ohio (MD 1970). Following an internship at Case-Western, he completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of Iowa Medical School.
In 1975, Buzz returned home to Omaha and joined the ophthalmology practice of Dr. Filkins and Dr. Meissner. Over the years, the practice grew and, after a number of name changes, is now known as Midwest Eye Care, the largest ophthalmology group in the state.
Upon graduation from the University of Nebraska, Buzz married his high school sweetheart, "Percy" Wood, and together they raised a family of six (3 boys and 3 girls). The nickname "Buzz" comes from his family as his father (Everett Madson, Sr.) was called "Bus" (because of his Buster Brown haircut as a boy) and so little Everett Jr. naturally became "Bussy", which eventually became Buzzy then Buzz; to this day, in the office, he is known as Dr. Buzz.
In grade school Buzz often fished at local lakes for catfish and bullheads bringing these prizes home to clean and cook. Cleaning and dissecting the squirrels and rabbits he hunted with a BB gun sparked his interest in anatomy and physiology. The proceeds from a newspaper route in junior high school enabled Buzz to buy the used Remington shotgun that he used during his high school years to hunt birds, mostly pheasants.
Medical school lead to a hiatus in fishing and hunting, but during his residency years, Buzz began hunting pheasants again. After he returned to Omaha to practice medicine, Buzz began hunting birds in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, then going on hunting expeditions to Africa, Alaska, Canada, New Zealand, Russia, South America, and Spain. As Buzz’ bird hunting experiences expanded around the world so did his interest in preserving these beautiful creatures as works of art. During their undergraduate years at UNL, Buzz and Percy had the great good fortune to take zoology classes with Dr. Paul Johnsgard, in their opinions, a wonderfully knowledgeable and captivating professor. Buzz and Percy remember well listening to Dr. Johnsgard lecture in Bessey Auditorium all those many years ago. It is with great pride that Dr. Everett "Buzz" Madson dedicates this collection of bird specimens in respect of Dr. Paul Johnsgard.