Preliminary Inventory of the Office of the President Records

John Russell Nelson earned his B.A. in Business and Economics from Pacific Union College and his M.B.A. and Ph.D. in Finance from UCLA. He began his professional career at the University of Minnesota, where he taught finance (1961-1970). Nelson moved to the University of Colorado at Boulder in September of 1970. Here, he served as Vice Provost and Professor of Finance (September 1970-July 1971), as Associate Provost (July 1971-October 1972), as Vice President for Budgets and Planning (October 1972-April 1974), as Vice President of Administration (April 1974-May 1977), as Executive Vice President of the University System and Acting Chancellor of the Boulder Campus (May 1977-February 1978), and finally as Chancellor (February 1978-1981).

Nelson succeeded John W. Schwada as President of Arizona State University in 1981. He believed that academics should be the University's first priority and that all other concerns, including athletics, should be subordinate to it. Although Nelson's administration was marked by conflict with the athletic department, the University grew significantly during his tenure. ASU West was constructed in 1983, 20 buildings or additions were completed on the Tempe campus, enrollment increased from 37,000 to 40,500, and research grants doubled. Nelson also brought a new focus on computer-assisted learning to the University and established computer literacy training for the general public. He stepped down as President of Arizona State University in 1989 in order to accept the Deanship of the University of Colorado at Boulder's Business School. Nelson retired from academia in 1992.