Nelson Hairston facts for kids

Nelson Hairston Sr. (born October 16, 1917 – died July 31, 2008) was an American scientist who studied ecology. Ecology is about how living things interact with each other and their environment. Nelson Hairston was famous for his ideas about how nature works, especially something called the trophic cascade. This idea looks at how changes at one level of a food chain can affect other levels. He also cared a lot about understanding and preventing human diseases. He even advised the World Health Organization for many years.

Nelson's Early Life

Nelson Hairston was born on October 16, 1917. His birthplace was in the Cooleemee area of Davie County, North Carolina. He was the second of two sons. His parents were Margaret George Hairston and Peter Hairston. Nelson was born on the Cooleemee Plantation. This plantation was built by his grandfather, Peter Wilson Hairston.

Starting His Career

Nelson became interested in ecology when he was young. He studied at the University of North Carolina. There, he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees. He then continued his studies at Northwestern University.

His PhD studies were paused because of World War II. During the war, he helped treat and prevent malaria. Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes. He worked in the South Pacific to help soldiers stay healthy.

After the war, Nelson finished his PhD. His research was about how salamanders live in the Appalachian Mountains. These early experiences helped him develop a lifelong interest in how diseases spread and how to prevent them.

Academic Work

Professor and Museum Director

Nelson Hairston spent most of his career at the University of Michigan. He worked there for 27 years. He was a professor of Zoology and also directed their Museum of Zoology.

During his time there, he helped make the University of Michigan a top place to study ecology. Many students came to learn about how nature works. After this, he taught at the University of North Carolina for 12 years. He was a Kenan Professor of Biology. One of his students was Richard Lenski, who became a famous evolutionary biologist.

Throughout his career, Nelson focused on how different living things affect each other. He studied how these interactions, like the trophic cascade, shape which species live together in an area.

Helping the World Health Organization

Hairston also did important work on human diseases. He believed that diseases were an "ecological problem." This means he thought we could solve diseases by understanding how germs live in nature. He also studied how humans interact with their environment.

This idea was new at the time, but now many experts agree with it. His ideas helped the UN’s World Health Organization. He advised them on a disease called schistosomiasis. This disease is caused by tiny worms. He helped countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the South Pacific deal with it.

Retirement and Later Years

Nelson Hairston retired when he was 69 years old. Even after retiring, he stayed very active in science. He wrote three books after he retired. One book, “Ecological Experiments,” was translated into many languages.

He was also recognized for his important work. He was nominated to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also received the Eminent Ecologist Award. This award is given by the Ecological Society of America.

His son, Nelson Hairston Jr, is also a scientist. He is a professor of Environmental Science at Cornell University.