Ted W. Nelson

Background

Ted W. Nelson was born on June 22, 1931, in McСloud, California, United States. His parents were DeWitt Nelson, a forester, and Sadiebelle (Friedley) Nelson, a lecturer.

Education

Ted W. Nelson attended Pomona College during 1949-1951. He then received his Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1954. After that, he spent two years in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he commanded a company as a First Lieutenant. In 1957 Nelson earned his Master of Forestry degree from the University of Michigan.

Career

At the beginning of his career, in 1953, Ted W. Nelson did the illustrations for a children’s story about Smokey Bear, then a well-known symbol for forest fire prevention. That story was written by his fiancée.

After their marriage, Ted pursued a career in forestry. He worked as a resident forester at Diamond Match Co. in Lyman Springs, California from 1957 to 1964. From 1964 to 1991 he worked at Weyerhaeuser Co. in Tacoma, Washington and retired as vice president.

Since 1991 Ted Nelson has been a writer. He worked closely together with his wife Sharlene. They authored a number of books, including "The Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses", "Bull Whackers to Whistle Punks: Logging in the Old West", and "Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument", among others.

Achievements

• Ted W. Nelson is best known as an outstanding author. His popular works include the books, co-authored with his wife Sharlene Nelson, "The Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses", "Bull Whackers to Whistle Punks: Logging in the Old West", and "Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument", among others.

Works

More photos

• book

  • William Boeing: Builder of Planes

    (A biography of Bill Boeing, a pioneer in the development ...)

    1999
  • Umbrella Guide to Oregon Lighthouses

    (Oregon Territory s first lighthouse was built on the Umpq...)

    1994
  • Bull Whackers to Whistle Punks: Logging in the Old West

    (Details the lives and innovations of nineteenth-century l...)

    1996
  • The Makah

    (Examines the history, culture, religious beliefs, poetry,...)

    2003
  • Mount Rainier National Park

    (Describes the history, landscape, wildlife, and activitie...)

    1998
  • The Golden Gate Bridge

    (Describes the history, construction, architecture, and si...)

    2001
  • The Nez Perce

    (Examines the history, culture, and contemporary life of t...)

    2003
  • Olympic National Park

    (Describes the landscape, wildlife, and activities of Wash...)

    1997
  • Brett Favre

    (A biography tracing the personal life and football career...)

    2000
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

    (Learn all about the volcanoes in Hawai'I's Volcanoes Nati...)

    1998
  • Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses 1990
  • Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument 1989
  • Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses 1993
  • Cruising the Columbia and Snake rivers 1981
  • Jedediah Smith 2004

Membership

Ted W. Nelson served on The Forest History Society Board for six years, as well as was a member of the Society of American Foresters, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, United States Lighthouse Society, Washington Forest Protection Association (honorary trustee in 1991), Tacoma Yacht Club and Tacoma Banjo Club, National Maritime Historical Society, Oregon Historical Society, and Washington State Historical Society.

• Forest History Society , United States

  1992 - 1998

Interests

• sailing, backpacking, skiing, oil painting, playing the banjo

Connections

Ted William Nelson married Sharlene P. Nelson, a writer, on July 17, 1955. The marriage produced two children - Gregg Nelson and Janise Nelson Gates.

Father:

DeWitt Nelson

Mother:

Sadiebelle (Friedley) Nelson

Spouse:

Sharlene Nelson

Son:

Gregg Nelson

Daughter:

Janise Nelson Gates

References

• Contemporary Authors New Revision Series