John A. Creighton

Count John A. Creighton (October 15, 1831 – February 7, 1907) was a pioneer businessman and philanthropist in Omaha, Nebraska who founded Creighton University. The younger brother of Edward Creighton, John was responsible for a variety of institutions throughout the city of Omaha, and was ennobled by Pope Leo XIII in recognition of his contributions to Creighton University, the Catholic community in Omaha, and the city of Omaha in general.

Born in Licking County, Ohio, Creighton's first job was working for his brother Edward, installing a telegraph line from Cleveland to Toledo. In 1852 he enrolled in St. Joseph's Dominican School near Somerset, Ohio. In 1856 he came to Omaha as a clerk with a local merchant, and in 1860 he took two jobs moving cattle and freight from Omaha to Denver, Colorado. Around that same period Edward accepted a contract installing 700 miles (1,100 km) of the Pacific Telegraph, the First Transcontinental Telegraph in the United States. John was hired as the superintendent of the construction. In the early 1860s Creighton traveled to Montana to mine gold, eventually installing a telegraph line from Salt Lake City, Utah to Helena, Montana.

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