In Memoriam - Dr. Robert Nelson

Dr. Robert M. Nelson died in his sleep on Saturday night at Carolina Meadows, the retirement home near Chapel Hill where he had lived for the last few years. Although he had been increasingly frail recently, he was not ill and was able to participate in his normal activities. He was 80 years old.

Nelson joined the School of Dentistry faculty in 1953 and helped establish the orthodontic department. He played a major role in the development of the graduate program, served as chairman of the department from 1966 until 1974. He remained a full-time faculty member until a severe heart attack necessitated his retirement in 1978.

According to colleagues, "Uncle Bob" was a great favorite of the many students in whom he took a personal interest, and he enjoyed keeping in contact with them in his later years. He was pleased that his friends established the Nelson Fund in the Dental Foundation of North Carolina, to help equip the new orthodontic clinic. "When I last spoke to him toward the end of 1998 to tell him how much the fund had grown, he was both surprised and gratified by how much had been credited and pledged there, said William R. Proffit, chair of the department of orthodontics. Although he left no instructions as to memorials, those who were close to him have suggested that the Nelson Fund would be an appropriate way for his friends to remember him. Contributions to the foundation should be marked for the Nelson Fund.

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