Nelson, Aven, 1859-1952

Nelson (1859-1952), a noted botanist of the rocky mountain states, was a faculty member of the University of Wyoming from 1886-1942. Born in Iowa and attending schools in Missouri, he was hired as one of the first faculty members of the University of Wyoming. He was appointed professor of Biology as well as serving in several other capacities for the University, including Professor of Botany (1907-1930s), Curator of the Rocky Mountain Herbarium (1894-1942), which he developed through a specimen exchange program he started after a collecting trip to Yellowstone National Park in 1899, Botanist of the University of Wyoming Experiment Station, and acting President (1912-1917) and President (1917-1922). Nelson took a leave of absence from the University in 1892 to receive botanical training at Harvard University, resulting in A.M. in Biology, an M.S. from Drury College of Missouri in 1890 and a Ph. D from the University of Denver in 1904. Nelson authored more than 150 articles and books, including the 1909 revision of "Manual of the Botany of the Rocky Mountain Region" and "First Report on the Flora of Wyoming." Nelson was also active professionally with numerous botanical and scholarly organizations. Nelson's first married to Cecilia Alice Calhoun in 1885 and they had two daughters. Cecilia died in 1929 and Nelson remarried to Ruth Ashton (1891-1987) in 1931. Ashton, also a botanist, served as an assistant with the Rocky Mountain Herbarium. They conducted fieldwork together and issued joint publications.

From the description of Aven Nelson papers, 1870-1983. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 28156394