Darwin B. Nelson Collection of UCC Football Artifacts

Darwin B. Nelson was born on December 29, 1942 in Fentress, Texas to Renold Stedman Nelson and Laverne Merle “Pat” Baker. He grew up in McNeil on a small farm with his grandparents Charles and Erna Baker. He graduated from Luling high School in 1961 where he had played on almost every varsity team. A year later he married his high school sweetheart Ellen Kaye Welch on July 6, 1962. Dr. Nelson earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Corpus Christi, and his master’s and Doctorate, Doctor of Psychology, at East Texas State University. Upon earning the Ph.D., Nelson accepted a position on the faculty at Mississippi State University. He returned to Texas when he accepted a position at Texas A&I University in Kingsville as the Director of the University Counseling Center.

In 1977, Dr. Nelson began working professionally with Dr. Gary Low in Corpus Christi, Texas, where they authored books, articles, and assessment instruments which were used in education, training, and teaching. He established the Personal/Life Skills Center in Corpus Christi, where he welcomed colleagues to consult, train, and practice.

In the late 1970s Dr. Nelson submitted a Hogg Foundation proposal to fund the startup of a student counseling center at Corpus Christi State University, now Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. At that time no student counseling center existed. The grant was funded, and Dr. Nelson was hired as the director. Within two years the university added the counseling center to the budget and Dr. Nelson’s position became permanent.

Dr. Nelson achieved many goals and had a variety of hobbies. He was a dreamer and a doer, combing the beach, carving wood, metal detecting, hunting arrow heads, and growing bamboo. His love of bamboo is what led to the establishment of Nelson Bamboo Farm and the beginning of BambooTexas.com. a labor of love and bonding between him and his son, John. Darwin B. Nelson passed away in Corpus Christi on January 26, 2017.