Oscar David Nelson (1895-1981) Papers (KC0069)

Oscar David Nelson was the son of Swedish immigrants.  He was born and raised in the Kansas City area.  At the age of 15 Nelson became an office boy for Butler Manufacturing.  Mr. Nelson was behind the idea to bid for a major government contract for the building of grain storage bins which is credited with pulling Butler out of the depression.

In 1941 Mr. Nelson was injured by a fall from a horse while on a Colorado hunting trip.  There followed a series of operations on his crushed hip.  After his return to work Nelson was made president and General Manager of Butler Manufacturing Company in 1946.  In 1957 he retired from the position of president to become chairman of the board, retiring from that post in 1961.

Oscar Nelson was active in a number of philanthropic projects.  Among them were Trinity Lutheran Hospital, The Rehabilitation Institute, Children’s Mercy Hospital and the United Way.

Mr. Nelson died on October 8, 1981, at the age of 86.

Subject matter includes Oscar Nelson's business career at Butler Manufacturing; his personal investments in real estate, farms, oil corporations, and stocks; his interests in the Republican Party, education, health services, churches, travel are also reflected in the papers.  These papers deal with both his personal and private life and contain many handwritten notes with his ideas and plans for projects. 1914-1980.

58 cubic feet.

© WHMC-KC, University of Missouri

updated: Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Kansas City
(816) 235-1543 WHMCKC@umkc.edu