David M. Nelson papers

The David M. Nelson Papers extend over 42 linear feet of material and span the years 1936 to 1991, with the bulk of the papers dating from 1951 to 1991. The collection is composed of correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs, clippings, minutes, manuals, programs, magazines, books, media guides, annual reports, articles, dockets, posters, pamphlets, a diary, motion pictures, video cassettes, drafts (preliminary versions), speeches, surveys, diagrams, certificates, interviews, bulletins, notes, newsletters, proceedings, resumes, and a logbook.

These papers document Nelson’s high school and collegiate experience, his service in the U.S. Naval Air Corps during World War II, his coaching and administrative career, and his extensive service to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and related organizations. Nelson’s publications, speaking engagements, honors and awards, as well as the various resources which he collected are also inventoried in these papers.

Although some material related to Nelson’s coaching and administrative career at the University of Delaware are present, most of these documents are available in the University of Delaware Archives (Record Group 172).

Scrapbooks, assembled by Mrs. Shirley Nelson, begin the story of David Nelson’s career, with a visual record of his scholastic achievements at Northwestern High School in Detroit, Michigan, and his collegiate activities at the University of Michigan. Mrs. Nelson, who knew David Nelson from childhood and shared his enthusiasm for sports, continued to collect clippings, letters, programs, and ephemeral material for the scrapbooks through 1977. Consequently, the scrapbooks contain invaluable information about her husband’s naval service, his early coaching career, and over twenty-five years of his service at the University of Delaware. The contents of each of these eighteen scrapbooks are described in the folder notes.

Nelson’s graduate work is represented in his papers by a copy of his Master’s thesis, “A Study of the Factors Influencing the Success and Failure of Football Rushing Plays.” Steven Johnson suggests that this was Nelson’s first innovative contribution to the game of football. By analyzing a series of games in great detail, he developed principles of blocking, which effectively eliminated the need for players to memorize specific blocking assignments for each play. Nelson’s post-graduate paper, “The Educational Values of Football Today,” also present in Series I, suggests his early philosophy of athletics and education.

David Nelson’s distinguished military service during World War II is recorded in the second series of his papers. Clippings, letters, a flight log, a diary, and a photograph negative depicting Nelson in uniform, document the forty-one months (1942–1945) Nelson served in the U. S. Naval Air Corps.

Nelson’s diary, kept between 1943 and 1945, describes his reconnaissance flights; reports daily activities, damages, and casualties on the U.S.S. Yorktown and other U.S. ships; mentions his participation in bombing raids over Tokyo and air support for ground troops at Iwo Jima (1945) and Okinawa; as well as noting the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the end of the war.

In addition to the scrapbooks, Nelson’s coaching and administrative accomplishments at Hillsdale College (1946–1948), Harvard University (1948–1949), and the University of Maine-Orono (1949–1951), are illustrated through a small group of letters, programs, press kits, and photographs.

The administrative and coaching legacy which David Nelson left at the University of Delaware in correspondence, reports, programs, minutes of meetings, and a variety of others resources is located in Series IV. Beginning in 1951, when Nelson came to the University of Delaware as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, and continuing through his tenure as the Dean of the College of Physical Education and Recreation, the documents reflect Nelson’s coaching techniques, his administrative acumen, and his dedication to achieving a strong intercollegiate athletic program, while emphasizing academic standards.

Material in Series IV, such as Nelson’s football coaching notebooks and bound volumes of minutes and reports, will complement the records found in the University Archives.

Series V records David Nelson’s thirty-five year tenure on the National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Rules Committee and his service as the committee’s Secretary-Editor. This series also chronicles his work with several other NCAA- related committees or organizations, such as the Collegiate Commissioners Association, the Division II Football Committee, the Joint Commission on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, the NCAA Television Committee, and the Yankee Conference.

Nelson’s contributions to the game of football and intercollegiate athletics become clear when examining the bulletins, clinic manuals and programs, correspondence, films, minutes, photographs, reports, posters, publications, and a group of subject files found in Series V. Because of the amount and scope of the material in this series, a detailed description of the contents is provided at the beginning of the Series V (pages 28-31).

Nelson actively participated in a number of other professional organizations, including the American Association of Higher Education, the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association, and the National Federation of State High School Associations. These affiliations, which represent only some of the organizations in which Nelson took part, are documented in Series VI.

Whether participating as a liaison from the Rules Committee, as in the case of the National Federation of State High School, or simply as a member, the correspondence, reports, clinic manuals, and other material suggest that Nelson’s contributions to these groups were substantial and appreciated.

David Nelson was a prolific writer, authoring books, syndicated columns, and articles on football rules and plays. Exploring his drafts and notes one discovers Nelson constantly rewriting, striving to improve his work. In addition to the drafts, Series VII supplies correspondence, contracts, and volumes of Nelson’s articles and columns, particularly his syndicated “Breaking the Rules” and “Official Football.”

Most of the book-related material concerns a second edition of Football Principles and Play, which was never published, or Nelson’s final work, The Anatomy of a Game.

Coach Nelson was a popular public speaker, as illustrated by the opportunities accorded him. In fact, Nelson wrote in his 1990 vita that he had given over 500 presentations to a variety of alumni, educational, health, medical, military, sports, and service organizations. Series VIII provides an extensive body of Nelson’s presentations, particularly seven notebooks, which contain notes for many of Nelson’s presentations between 1949 and 1984.

In addition to these notebooks, individual speeches, notes, correspondence, and programs, are also present, further illustrating Nelson’s well-written and frequently amusing presentations. Nelson was particularly entertaining when he presided as the master of ceremonies for sports banquets or celebrations for his associates or coaching friends.

Series IX consists of an extensive file of personal correspondence maintained by Nelson. Arranged chronologically from 1951 to 1991, this file of letters to Nelson, and his responses, cover some of the same topics as in the NCAA correspondence file. However, correspondence of a more personal nature from fans or his coaching colleagues, as well as correspondence recruiting Nelson for coaching positions, is also present.

A folder of correspondence from sports writer Ivan Kaye, biographical information about Nelson, and a notebook of correspondence collected by David Nelson complete Series IX. See the series note on pages 59-60 for more information on the personal correspondence file.

David M. Nelson was recognized for his contributions to intercollegiate athletics and particularly college football through numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, The National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Distinguished American Award, and induction into the National Football College Hall of Fame. Documentation for these and other awards is provided through letters of congratulations, clippings, photographs, schedules, programs, press releases, and Nelson’s acceptance speeches found in Series X.

Several series identify resources collected by David Nelson to support his writing, coaching, administrative functions, and professional affiliations. These series are the following: XI. Magazines, XII. Books, XIII. Clippings, XIV. Subject file, XVI. E.E. Wieman’s football coaching notebooks, and XVII. Bound volumes of clippings, magazines, minutes, dockets, annual reports, proceedings, clinic manuals, photocopied articles, etc.

Noteworthy are the coaching notebooks utilized by E. E. Wieman during his football coaching career and some of the rare books and magazines on football. Among the books and magazines are copies of Modern Football by Fritz Crisler, Understand Football by Grantland Rice and John Heisman, Walter Camp’s Book of College Sports, a Souvenir Football Program of Harvard - Yale Game (1926), and the 1937 through 1941 issues of Illustrated Football Annual. A complete list of books and magazines is available in the series.

The collection contains a substantial number of audiovisual materials, including 16MM films and video cassettes. David Nelson appeared in some and helped prepare the script for others. These films are described in the appropriate series to which they pertain. See Appendix A for a complete list of the audiovisual material in the Nelson Papers.

Photographs of David Nelson, other coaches, football officials, and football games or equipment occur throughout the collection. To assist in locating these items a list of photographs has been compiled as Appendix B.

This description of David Nelson’s Papers highlights only some of the major contents. Researchers exploring the history of football or topics related to intercollegiate athletics will be rewarded by a search of the series and folder notes.