Sarah Joslyn: The Woman Who Gave Omaha Its Art Museum
Today, thousands of visitors walk through the doors of the Joslyn Art Museum, one of Omaha’s most important cultural institutions. But behind the museum’s creation was a woman whose generosity and vision helped shape the city and the community around her.
Sarah Joslyn believed that art and culture should belong to everyone. At a time when Omaha was still growing into a modern city, she helped ensure that future generations would have access to world-class art and a place where the community could gather, learn, and be inspired.
Sarah Hannah Selleck was born March 30, 1851, in Cleveland, Ohio. She married George A. Joslyn in 1874, and the couple later lived in Montreal and Des Moines, Iowa before moving to Omaha in 1880 during a period of rapid growth in the city. George’s work in the newspaper industry eventually led to the expansion of the Western Newspaper Union, a company that would become one of the largest newspaper service organizations in the world. As the business grew, the Joslyns became among Omaha’s first millionaires.
But Sarah became known not for the wealth the couple accumulated, but for how she chose to use it. Sarah and George experienced the loss of a son in infancy, and later raised Violet, their foster daughter. Throughout her life, Sarah supported charitable and civic efforts that strengthened Omaha’s growing institutions. The Joslyn’s contributed to organizations such as the Child Saving Institute, the Nebraska Humane Society, and the University of Omaha, helping expand services for children and families, increase access to education, and support animal welfare in the community. They became widely recognized for their generosity, and historians estimate that the couple donated more than $7 million to community causes during their lifetimes.
Their home, Joslyn Castle, completed in 1903, became one of Omaha’s most recognizable residences. The 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion, originally called Lynhurst, stood on a five-and-a-half-acre estate overlooking the growing city. While it reflected the Joslyns’ success, the Castle was also a place where Sarah hosted charitable events and supported community efforts. After George’s death in 1916, Sarah turned her attention to a project that would ultimately define her legacy.
In 1928, she donated more than $3 million to build a memorial that would honor her husband while also serving as a cultural institution for the people of Omaha, a gift that would equal approximately $57 million today. That gift led to the creation of the Joslyn Memorial, which opened on November 29, 1931. Today, the building is known as the Joslyn Art Museum. From the beginning, Sarah intended the museum to be a gift to the public. Admission was free, ensuring that the arts would be accessible to everyone in the community. At the dedication ceremony, Sarah expressed a simple hope for the museum’s future:
“If there is any good in it, let it go on and on.”
Nearly a century later, her vision continues. The museum remains one of Omaha’s cultural anchors, welcoming visitors from across the region and beyond. Sarah Joslyn died on February 28, 1940, at the age of 88. Yet her influence remains deeply woven into Omaha’s cultural life, not only through the museum she created, but through the spirit of generosity and community investment she helped inspire.
