Eppley is a surname most notably associated with Eugene C. Eppley (1884–1958), an American hotel magnate and philanthropist, and with several institutions and locations named after him, the most prominent being Eppley Airfield, the primary commercial airport serving Omaha, Nebraska.
Eugene C. Eppley was born in Akron, Ohio, and built the Eppley Hotel Company into what was, by the 1950s, the largest privately owned hotel chain in the United States, owning 22 hotels across six states. He sold the chain to Sheraton Hotels in 1956 for $30 million. A lifelong bachelor and noted philanthropist, he directed much of his wealth toward educational, civic, and medical research causes in the Midwestern United States. His estate established the Eugene C. Eppley Foundation to sustain his philanthropic giving.
Eppley Airfield (IATA: OMA, ICAO: KOMA) is located approximately three miles northeast of downtown Omaha, Nebraska, on the west bank of the Missouri River. It is the busiest airport in Nebraska, handling more passenger traffic than all other airports in the state combined. The airport was originally established in 1925 as Omaha Municipal Airport. It was renamed Eppley Airfield in 1960 after Eugene C. Eppley's estate donated $1 million (matched by the federal government) to prepare the airport for jet aircraft. The airport covers 2,650 acres and features three runways. In 2024, it set an all-time passenger record of 5,277,326 passengers. A $950 million terminal modernization project (BuildOMA) is currently underway.
Other notable institutions named after Eugene C. Eppley include:
- Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands – A research and training center at Indiana University Bloomington that provides training, learning design, research, planning, and accessibility guidance to parks and public land agencies.
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases – A cancer research institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
- Eugene C. Eppley College of Business Administration – The business school at Creighton University in Omaha.
- Eugene C. Eppley Center – A building at Michigan State University housing The School of Hospitality Business within the Eli Broad College of Business.
- Eugene C. Eppley Fine Arts Building – At Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa.
- Eugene C. Eppley Auditorium and the Eppley Club – At Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana (Eppley's alma mater).
