Katherine Greacen Nelson

Katherine Greacen Nelson received her Bachelor of Science from Vassar College in 1934, being acknowledged for her excellence in geology. Four years after graduating from Vassar, Nelson attended Rutgers University and became one of the first women to earn a PhD in geology. Nelson went directly into teaching at Milwaukee-Downer College, as well as being the curator at the Thomas A. Greene Memorial Museum. During World War II, Nelson left teaching and began working in petroleum geology and paleontology working for Shell Oil Co. (later transitioning to Hunt Oil Co.) as a way to help out with the war effort. At the end of WWII, she returned to Milwaukee-Downer College to continue teaching in both geology and geography. During her time teaching there she also spent time teaching at the Milwaukee-Downer Seminary and YWCA. In 1954 when the school merged with Lawrence College (under the name UW–Milwaukee), Nelson decided to once again leave Milwaukee-Downer College. In 1956 the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee obtained the Milwaukee-Downer campus. Due to her heavy involvement in both the museum and university, Nelson took the initiative to purchase the Greene Museum from Milwaukee-Downer. She created an active public education program for the less wealthy where more than 20,000 people have benefited from its teachings.[1] In this same year, Nelson was named the first faculty member and chair of the Department of Geological & Geophysical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.[2]

As the first women to graduate with a PhD in geology from Rutgers University, Nelson made many fundamental contributions in her field. Therefore, she received numerous awards, including the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical & Geological Societies Educator of the Year Award in 1982, while working as a professor at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. At the time of Nelson's death she was one of the first women ever nominated for the Presidency of Chapter E in the latter society.[3] In addition, she was the first woman to receive the Neil Milner Award, and to acquire the position president of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, & Letters. Nelson's influences towards education are more significant compared to her research or findings as a geologist. However, they are equally as essential to geology as a whole. As a result, The Nelson Award was created to honour her contributions to education in the field of geology.[4] She was a great advocate for making women as a whole more prevalent in the world of geology.

Nelson was invested in helping out the general population throughout the entirety of her career. She believed that everyone should gain a basic understanding of their surroundings and appreciate the wonder of geological processes. Nelson accomplished this by putting a great amount of effort and detail into presenting public lectures to inquisitive minds. This also included acting as a tour guide to students when visiting museums and offering information about the field. She became deeply entrenched in the media by writing many newspaper articles as well as giving media interviews. She was devoted to helping geology hobbyists in their range of work by offering her knowledge to everyone. She was influential in the area of preserving glaciers as she explained the importance of Wisconsin's glacial feature to politicians, which would later lead to the establishment of the National Ice Age Scientific Reserve. Throughout all of this, Nelson inspired a new generation of geological interest in students.[5]

Nelson was a well-respected geologist who was passionate about the sciences and teaching. She is remembered for her work in advocating for earth sciences and was recently recognized by the Geological Society of America as one of the pioneers for woman in geology in the United States of America. The legacy that she left in geology is remarkable but it is her impact in the classroom that really left a mark. She is remembered as a kind, warm, and enthusiastic individual of whom students spoke highly.[6] Nelson did not do any of her work for money, but because of her true passion for understanding and helping others understand the history of the Earth.