Born to Swedish immigrants Andrew John Nelson and Hedvig Nelson near Round Rock, Texas, Thomas Edward Nelson (b. 1888) attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1906 through 1910. Following graduation, he was hired as assistant manager of the A. J. Nelson Estate Bank, while also serving as Congressman J. P. Buchanan’s secretary from 1913 through 1916. Ten years later, Nelson became the president of the Farmer’s State Bank. In 1924, he married Rebecca Young Schofield, with whom he had one son that they raised in Round Rock. That same year, Nelson was appointed Director of the First National Bank in Georgetown. In addition to his professional activities, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1931 and 1939 as well as a member of the 10th Congressional District Democratic Executive Committee.
Composed of correspondence, biographical sketches, and newspaper clippings, the T. E. Nelson Family Papers, 1851-1952, chronicle Nelson’s career as well as the activities of his family in Round Rock and Austin, Texas. Correspondence concerns family history and genealogy and Nelson’s business affairs. Biographical sketches also pertain to family history and the Nelsons’ emigration from Sweden to the United States. Additionally, newspaper clippings document social affairs in Round Rock and news pertaining to local banks.
This collection is open for research use.
T. E. Nelson Family Papers, 1851-1952, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s