Richard H. Nelson ’61

Rick Nelson died of a heart attack Jan. 24, 2000, at his home in Wellington, Fla. A pioneer in the independent energy industry, he was president and CEO of U.S. Energy Systems, Inc.

Born in Norfolk, Rick came to Princeton from Norfolk Academy. At Princeton he was a Woodrow Wilson major, a member of Elm Club, chair of the Tiger, and publisher of Ivy Magazine. While in the Army he was military aide to then-V.P. Lyndon Johnson and from 1963-67 assistant to the president.

Among his many awards was the Presidential Medal. In The Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson, Eric Goldman described Rick as a "sharp-minded, energetic young man with an off-beat sense of humor and a full quotient of his generation's puzzlement about what to do with their lives." Along the way Rick earned a law degree at Georgetown. In 1970 he entered the business world. In recent years he had become an avid sport shooter in Palm Beach and was a regular fixture with his son on the polo fields.

Rick is survived by Carole, his wife of 34 years, a son, Chris '92, a daughter, Karin, and his parents. With them we mourn his passing.

The Class of 1961