Lied Middle School’s namesake’s charitable nature lives on

More than 20 years after his death, members of the Lied Middle School, 5350 W. Tropical Parkway, administration continue to instill the charitable spirit of the school's namesake in students' lives.

That namesake is Ernst F. Lied, a former car dealer from Nebraska who moved to Las Vegas in 1958 to try his hand at real estate. He brought along his business partner Christina Hixson, who had a hand in managing several hotel and apartment properties. Hixson was named the sole trustee to Lied's estate when he died in 1980. She currently heads the Lied Foundation Trust based in Las Vegas.

Since his death, Hixson has put Lied's $100 million estate to use, making monetary donations to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Nebraska, the University of Kansas and Iowa State University, among others.

"Our responsibility as educators is not just helping the students academically but helping them to become global citizens," said Lied Middle School principal Kimberly Bass-Davis. "Community service and giving back to the community are just part of the lessons we teach our students."

The former businessman's name can be found on numerous buildings and organizations throughout the valley. He is the namesake of UNLV's Lied Library, the Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies in Paradise, The Animal Foundation's Lied Animal Shelter and The Salvation Army's Lied Social Services Campus in North Las Vegas.

The Clark County School District's naming committee awarded the foundation with the honor in 1996 - when the school was built - in recognition of his service to the community. The foundation did not provide monetary or in-kind donations to the school itself.

In keeping with the namesake's generous ways, his school's students have recorded hundreds of hours of community service over the years through its National Junior Honor Society chapter, basketball team and cheer squad, along with other various student groups.

"We have a variety of clubs and organizations that try to do good in the community," said Lied Middle School assistant principal John Sullivan. "One of our central messages is just to be generous in general."

As the school continues to grow, so too will its impact in the community, according to Sullivan.

"We've got a good crop of kids here," he said. "(The school) will keep expanding and working with what we've got. This school is moving."

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 383-0492.