Paul Nelson, emeritus professor of economics, served the University with pride and distinction for 45 years until his retirement in 2018. He helped shape the lives and careers of thousands of Michigan Tech students, many of whom have gone on to find great success. Nelson passed away August 5 at the age of 78.
Nelson received his B.S. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a M.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1972, he joined Michigan Tech, where he served as assistant and assistant professor.
Nelson was on the cutting edge of supporting women who were interested in studying business and engineering, directing a career management program for young women in the 1970s, which was featured in Time magazine. Nelson also had a significant impact on MTU’s entrepreneurship programs, becoming involved in a number of campus enterprises and teaching entrepreneurship-focused short classes from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s.
A story in the College’s 2017 Impact Magazine estimated that from his start date in 1972 to his retirement in 2017, Nelson amassed an amazing 55,600 student credit hours. He maintained the same office in the Academic Office Building for 45.5 years.
Nelson made numerous contributions to public service, generously sharing his economic expertise through continuing education, summer precollege programs, unpaid consultations with business, industry, or government, and professional appearances.
Nelson was faculty advisor to the Michigan Tech Veterans Club and the College Republicans student organizations for more than two decades. He was a longtime member and officer for the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the American Legion, and the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
Emeritus professor of economics B. Patrick Joyce, who retired in 2012, shared an office with Nelson in the 1970s and early 1980s. He says that Nelson was an excellent colleague and always willing to help a colleague with technical questions in his area of his expertise.
“Paul was widely involved with the workings of the College of Business, often serving on and chairing college committees,” Joyce says. “And he was very conscientious about his office hours and working with students on class materials.”
“Paul’s desk was super organized, and he was always professionally dressed,” Joyce says “He was a real neatnik and the only faculty member I have ever known who kept a vacuum cleaner in his office!”
“Overall, Paul was a great guy. We were privileged to have him as a member of the COB,” Joyce says.
“I considered Paul a great colleague and scholar as well as a good friend. He was the economics anti-trust and public utility expert in the College of Business,” says James Gale, emeritus professor of economics, who retired in 2008. “If I asked him about a court case against a large corporation, he would give the background, underlying economic theories, and future implications of the case. I always enjoyed discussions with him about economic issues.”
Gale also recalls that Nelson had the neatest and most organized office of any faculty members he knew, even keeping his own vacuum cleaner in his office. Gale says he could immediately pull obscure articles from his economics journals or Michigan Tech history from his cabinet files.
Tom Merz, emeritus professor of economics, worked with Nelson for more than 35 years. He recalls Nelson’s generosity in sharing the harvest from his vegetable garden. “Realizing Paul’s generosity, my wife Mimi and I never had a reason to have a vegetable garden,” he says. “We, along with other faculty, staff, and their families, were free riders at the expense of a valued colleague.”
Junhong Min, associate professor of marketing, also remembers the home-grown vegetables that Nelson shared. “I will miss Paul,” he says.
Manish Srivastava, professor of strategic management and innovation, says, “Paul will surely be missed. I always enjoyed talking to him and learned so much from him, especially about social and political affairs. He was an absolute gentleman.”
“Paul Nelson will indeed be missed,” says Emanuel Oliveira, associate Professor of Economics. “I always appreciated my conversations with him, particularly those within the realm of economics, and especially when we had conflicting opinions, like economists often do. A gentleman is gone, but not forgotten.”
“Paul will be missed. He was engaged in the community and the lives of the youth and others in so many ways,” says Jeff Wall, associate professor of management information systems: data analytics, “I always enjoyed my talks with him, and he was a great example of service”