DAVE VAN METRE

Contributor & Partner
​Inducted in 2003 & 2005

Dave was inducted into the SHSAA Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Packer Sports Greats in 2005.

Dave Van Metre was honored for his outstanding athletic achievements and for his generous donations to OPS totaling $600,000 for physical fitness and weight training programs. 

Dave played baseball, basketball and football during grade and high school in Iowa.  He attended Colorado College and played split end on offense and defensive end for the Colorado Tigers football team.  His outstanding football career allowed him to become the 18th round draft choice for the Los Angeles Rams (now the St. Louis Rams).  Dave attended the camp, but was on the final team roster. 

After a stint in the Army, Dave and Carol settled in Denver in 1960 while he worked for US Gypsum Company.  In 1967, he and his wife, Carol, transferred to Omaha, where Dave later started his career in the investment business.  He worked for Merrill Lynch, Shearson American Express, Smith Barney, and Chiles Heider Investment Companies.  He also was co-owner of Travel & Transport and sold the company to the employees in 2002.

In addition to the school physical fitness projects, Dave was the coordinator and fund raiser of $160,000 in the rehabilitation of Brown Park, making the field SHS’s home baseball field.  He is presently working on rehabilitating Collin Field with astro-turf, lights and tennis courts which will be a $1.5 million project.  He is also working to improve the H.P. Smith Sports Complex to serve as the home softball field for the girls, as well as the Boys & Girls Club baseball and softball complex for the children of South Omaha.

Dave and Carol Van Metre have had a tremendous impact on SHS sports training facilities and we are grateful to them for providing the means to make our SHS athletes more competitive with other Metro schools.