Nelson, Margaret (1916-1993)

Margaret Nelson

The younger half of the only mother-daughter pair ever to be professors in home economics at UW, Margaret Nelson grew up in close proximity to the school. She received all three of her degrees from UW--a BS in 1937, an MS in 1955 and a PhD in 1965. Between her Masters and her Doctorate, she worked as a teacher coordinator at Madison Vocational, Technical, Adult School. After receiving her doctorate she was appointed an extension specialist and an assistant professor in Home Management and Family Living, later becoming a full professor in Consumer Science. From 1976 until her retirement in 1986, she also served as the program area coordinator for Consumer Science.

Nelson's focus on consumer credit, and in particular on educating women about credit so that they could take control of their own finances, might relate to the circumstances of her own life. Just as her mother May Reynolds had raised her single-handedly after the death of her father, Nelson also became a single mother to her three children. The emphasis placed by Nelson on a woman's ability to support herself independently suggests that she used her personal experiences as a motivation for helping others ensure their financial security.