Fred Nelson Endowed Scholarship

Fred Nelson sees an important link between the economy of Viroqua and Western. “The more skilled and better educated people we have, the more prosperous a community we have, meaning a higher standard of living for all of us,” said Nelson, former owner and president of Nelson Agri-Center in Viroqua. “I think it all starts with education.”
In 1981, supporting his belief in education, Fred Nelson established an endowed scholarship for students in agribusiness programs at the college. Nelson has been a major donor of the Western Nelson Outreach Center in Viroqua, which was named after him. He also served as treasurer of the Foundation Board of Trustees.