Nelson, Thomas, 1872-

Thomas Nelson (1872-1953) worked as educator, administrator, and textile technologist. He served the Textiles Department at North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) from 1901 to 1949, originally as an instructor, then Head of the Textiles Department, and later as the first Dean of the School of Textiles.

Thomas Nelson (1872-1953) worked as educator, administrator, and textile technologist. He served the Textiles Department at North Carolina State College from 1901 to 1949, originally as an instructor, then Head of the Textiles Department, and later as the first Dean of the School of Textiles. Nelson was born in Preston, England on April 24, 1872. In Preston, he studied at the Harris Institute Technical School. He earned a certificate for weaving and designing in 1891 by the City and Guilds of London Institute. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from North Carolina State College in 1926. When he joined the faculty at North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (later North Carolina State University) in 1901, the department had only one instructor and a couple of weaving machines. At his retirement as Dean of the School of Textiles in 1943, Nelson headed one of the largest and most successful textile schools in the country. In 1908, Nelson helped organize and was a charter member of the Southern Textile Association, and in 1943, he was chosen as the first president of the newly formed National Council of Textile School Deans. Between 1911 and 1922 he also served as a Commercial Agent for the Bureau of Manufacturers of the United States Department of Commerce and Labor, Special Agent for the United States Tariff Board, and consultant with the Tariff Commission. In the summers of 1934 and 1937, Nelson traveled to Europe to visit the leading textile schools in England, Ireland, and Scotland. He authored two books: Weaving: Plain and Fancy (1907) and Practical Loom Fixing (1917), which by 1949 had been published internationally and in five editions. He was active in scholastic, civic and religious affairs on campus and in the community throughout his life. Nelson died in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 11, 1953.