Aven Nelson

Aven Nelson was an American botanist. He studied spermatophytes, pteridophytes, and mycology.

Biography
In 1875, at the age of 16, he became the teacher at a country school. In 1883, he graduated from Normal School in Kirksville with a bachelor's degree and was appointed assistant professor at Drury College. Nelson married Celia Alice Calhoun in September 1885 and moved to Ferguson, Missouri, where he became a superintendent of schools and bought a home. During September 1891, Nelson left to go study at Harvard University, studying the physiology and morphology of plants and animals.

He graduated from Harvard on June 29, 1892. From 1894 to 1895, Nelson had attended two botanical expeditions. In 1904, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Denver.