Paul Raymond Nelson was born in Hagerman, Idaho on May 31st, 1916. Soon after, he moved to Olympia, Washington and then to Seattle. In 1925 when he was nine, his family moved to Hollywood. Then in 1933, his family moved to Galesburg, Illinois, where Nelson completed his last two years of high school and enrolled at Knox College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. As Nelson finished his final year at Knox College in 1942, DuPont contacted the Science Department at Knox College to recruit young scientists to aid in the war effort. Nelson was recommended, as he had exceptionally good grades in chemistry. A month before final exams and graduation and with permission from Knox College, Nelson interviewed with and was promptly hired by DuPont as a member of the Ordinance Works in Kankakee, Illinois. In 1944, DuPont transferred Nelson to Hanford Engineering Works in Washington state, to work on the Manhattan Project. Here he gained a top security clearance and was able to rise to the rank of supervisor. This position was responsible for directing the operation of a plutonium production reactor in Hanford’s 200 West Area.
In 1958, Nelson accepted a position in New York City with the Atomic Energy Commission (which would become the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1975) as a health physicist and radiation specialist. Nelson’s job was to monitor compliance with health and safety regulations governing the use of radioactive materials by AEC licensees in the North-East region. Following his retirement in 1978 at 62, Nelson worked another decade after retirement as a consultant for NRC licensees. Nelson’s certification for consultancy required ongoing courses and an 8-hour physics exam every five years.
Information courtesy of Paul Raymond Nelson’s obituary: https://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/ber110447