submitted by greenj@augsburg.edu
Dear Faculty and Staff,
I am writing to share the sad news that Dr. Richard C. Nelson, former professor and chair of Augsburg’s department of history, passed away on Sunday, December 22nd.
Rick received the BA from the University of Nebraska, and the MA and PhD from the University of Minnesota. He began teaching at Augsburg in 1967, earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in 1977, and was promoted to professor in 1986. Rick retired from Augsburg in 2000 and was awarded faculty emeritus status.
Rick was a prominent faculty leader who – in addition to other significant contributions – served as president of the Faculty Senate. He was a classical scholar, with research interests focused on ancient Assyria and Sumeria. His expertise in ancient history shaped the experience of successive generations of students.
Together with English professor Dave Wood, Rick co-authored The Anderson Chronicles: An Intimate Portrait of Augsburg College, 1963-1997, which continued the work of Carl Chrislock’s From Fjord to Freeway: 100 years, Augsburg College.
Rick was a long-time member of what became known as The Seminar — a group of colleagues, across many disciplines (Biology, Physics, English, History, Art, Sociology, Music, and more) who met locally every Friday for over fifty years, where close bonds were developed and families became tied closely together.
A memorial service will be held in Rick’s home town of Beatrice, Nebraska on January 4, 2020. A full obituary with additional details is posted online.
Karen Kaivola
A full obituary with additional details is posted online.
