1937-2024
By Cynthia Bannon, Chair
Carroll August “Gus” Nelson was professor of Classical Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington from 1969 until 2001. Gus began his career as Assistant Professor of Classical Studies at IU in 1969. From 1964-1969, Gus was Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at Concordia Senior College, before beginning his career at Indiana University.
Gus was born May 25th, 1937, in Hillman, Minnesota. He attended Hopkins High School, where he met his wife, Carol. He graduated in 1955, and in 1961 they were married. For Gus, his passion for the ancient Greek language served as a bridge between his ministry and his academic career. He graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Greek from Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Then in 1963 he earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, in St. Louis, Missouri and, in August of that same year, became an ordained minister in Utica, Michigan. Gus pursued further degrees in both areas, earning a Ph.D. in Classical Studies from IU in 1969, and later a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in 1972. His two careers intersected when he officiated at the wedding of his then-colleague, David Sigsbee and his wife Judy in Beck Chapel on IU’s campus.
As a classicist Gus’ research expertise was papyrology, the study of Greek and Latin texts written on papyri. Gus developed a passion for papyrology and the skills to pursue it guided by his mentor Professor Verne Schuman and other department faculty, Glanville Downey and James Halporn. In his PhD dissertation he studied papyri to investigate the legal process for determining a person’s status in Roman Egypt, which gave the work its title, “Epikrisis.” His doctoral research led to a monograph, Status Declarations in Roman Egypt (1979). He also published many new papyri, translating and transcribing documents that illuminated the economic and governmental life of Roman Egypt, such as “Census Declarations from Arsinoe” (1972), “A Receipt for Beer Tax” (1976), “Petition to the Peacekeepers” (1981), and “Two Papyri Recording Loan Payments (1996). To support his research Gus won a number of grants including the prestigious Alexander von Humbolt Fellowship and a Fullbright Grant that took him and his family to West Berlin in 1978 where he worked at the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection. He is quoted in a 1987 Indiana Daily Student article saying that he, “always enjoyed ancient literature and history – especially Egyptian history.” Papyrology gave Gus a window on the innerworkings of society in Egypt; by piecing together small scraps and broken texts his work illuminated explore the lives and problems of ordinary people in Roman Egypt.
In addition to his research, Gus also had a distinguished service career in many areas of campus life throughout his years at IUB. Not long after earning his Ph.D., Gus served on the Graduate School Curriculum Committee (now the Graduate Faculty Council) from 1974-1977. Gus’s service contributed most extensively to undergraduate life on the Bloomington Campus. He was a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee for the Athletics Department (now Faculty Athletics Committee) from 1979-80. In the Undergraduate Life Division he served both as Dean (1987-91) and Vice Chancellor (1990-91). His focus was on programs that supported the improvement of students’ fundamental skills, including reading and math. Moreover, he helped organize assistance programs for student studying for specialized exams, such as the medical school or law school entrance exams. His work enriched the undergraduate experience and made it more accessible for not only Indiana residents but students nationwide. After leaving this office, he served as Associate Dean in the Office of Academic Affairs, a position that he held until 1992.
Throughout his career Gus also made important contributions to the Department of Classical Studies. He taught across the curriculum but had a particularly important role in the Medical Terminology course, using Verne Schuman’s method and textbook. Gus also held leadership positions in the department including Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director of Graduate Studies, and Assistant Chairman. He is remembered as a devoted DGS, as one former graduate student wrote, “when Gus Nelson was grad adviser, he’d host a dinner for everyone at his house. This was a time when everyone was on short rations, doing stuff like drinking Morning Thunder tea because coffee had become too expensive and learning to think beans with rice was a main course. The Nelson’s spread included a whole turkey and a whole ham. All you could eat. We still talk about it. When I decided I wanted to work on Menander, Gus gave me a crash course in papyrology and gave me some material that is still useful.” Taking care of his students, not just academically, made Gus a valued mentor.
Following his retirement Gus and his wife left Bloomington, living in Belize for five years and traveling the world. They then settled in Florida, where he spent the remainder of his days happily near the ocean. Gus passed away on May 2nd, 2024. He will be remembered for his papyrological research, dedication to students, and wide-ranging service to Indiana University.
The College of Arts