| Show r 1 d I L I I c c I W T w I 1 4 d JI b by 1 r y Mo V i. i k f 4 ti 4 Y r k ij ii Utah Technical College President Jay L L. Nelson makes college plans with Advisory Committeeman George A. A Christensen left Utah Tech's President Nelson Man On The Go Editors Editor's Note The following is a portrait that appeared in inthe inthe the Nov edition of the Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day Salt Lake Tribune There is no substitute for hard v ork and enthusiasm I believe as many businessmen do that attitude is one of the most significant f factors a act c t o 0 r s in success So says Jay L. L Nelson president president president dent of Utah Technical College at at- Salt Lake He also believes If a job is worth doing its it's worth more than 40 hours a week And he has consistently put in far more than the standard build technical technical technical tech tech- per hours to a and vocational college that take pride in Born in Brigham City Mr Nelson Nelson Nelson Nel Nel- son now 56 was educated in Provo Prove schools including Brigham Brigham Brigham Brig- Brig ham Young University where he studied five years Earned Way Through I had it rough get getting tin g through college I worked my way through on my own he recalls His father a barber was hit hard by the Depression and had to move from Provo where young Jay remained to hunt odd Jobs When I first started college I joined the Utah National Guard I got a drill He adds he thought nothing of his Guard duty except as a way to earn money until World War II Then IThen I realized my Guard duty meant a lot It added to tenure when I was drafted After graduating from BYU in inthe inthe inthe the Depression he found jobs in b bus business u s i n e es s s virtually non non- existent Majored in Business Busness Despite the faltering economy economy economy econ econ- omy he had majored in business business business busi busi- ness because Id I'd always like the subject At Provo High School I was business manager a job they still have I kept books and oversaw the financing financing financing ing of student activities Unable to find employment he returned to pick up a teaching teaching teaching teach teach- ing certificate From 1936 to 1940 he taught speech and comm commer com- com m mer e r c cia i a I l subjects in Sevier School District and then for a year in Iron County He briefly served as secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary to the superintendent of Utah Parks Co a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad In 1942 he joined the Utah State Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Public War Production Program Then he was drafted and sent to Ft Benning Ga infantry school Most of the second lieuten- lieuten and Utah Governor Calvin L. L Rampton The Advisory Committee and the governor follow closely the growth of the tech college ants in his graduating class were sent to the European Theatre of War but Mr Nelson went to Texas where he served as an instructor With Europe won by the Allies attention shifted to Asia But the day the war against Japan ended Mr Nelson sailed to the Philippines Th That at was a dark day The war was over but the orders were cut I was on a ship with 1800 other lieutenants I am sure that we were the replace- replace m men e n t s for the invasion of Japan In Charge of Records Instead he was placed in charge of more than a hundred Filipinos who kept records for all the post exchanges in the Southwest Pacific After his discharge he stayed in the US U.S. Army Reserve and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel before he retired He also was president of the Reserve Reserve Reserve Re Re- serve Officers Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Utah and president of the Reserve Officers Salt Lake Chapter In 1950 Mr Nelson was named president of the Salt Lake Area Vocational School which developed into Trade Tech and then Utah Technical College The governor at that time refused refused refused re re- re- re fused to finance a technical school That was Mr Nelsons Nelson's first big problem and one which still continues today With our funds rejected by bythe bythe bythe the governor we just limped along until the Legislature gave us a deficit appropriation Without Without Without With With- out those funds the school would have collapsed But attitudes changed The school has located part of its facilities at S. S Redwood Rd a campus of stunning archi archi- The president has overseen overseen overseen over over- seen the growth of enrollment from daytime and nighttime nighttime nighttime night night- time students to 1650 daytime and 1350 night students Seeks Accreditation With its academic program beefed up Mr Nelson hopes the school will be accredited by bythe bythe bythe the Northwest Accrediting Association As As- This will open up new doors for us and well we'll be eligible for federal funds he notes Mr Nelson and his wife Afton Hansen whom he met while attending BYU have four children children children chil chil- dren and reside at 2027 Redondo Redondo Redondo Re- Re dondo Ave Mr Nelsons Nelson's favorite recreation recreation recreation is hunting I like to think of myself as a great hunter |
