Born in Nebraska, 1948, and grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. Graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City with a B.A., 1970. Majored in art and taught applied art at the secondary school level for two years. Mr. Nelson moved to the Smithsonian in 1972 and is currently a Museum Specialist in the Division of Graphic Arts of the National Museum of American History. The sub-specialty of printing history he has pursued is that of the history of printing type manufacture. As a result of this interest, he has been lecturing about and demonstrating early type founding techniques. He has spoken at Columbia University and meetings of the American Type-casting Fellowship (charter member).