Alumni Awards

Charles Nelson '65

2017 -18 Martin de Tours Recipient 

Charles Nelson, of the Class of 1965, was the 2017-18 recipient of St. Martin’s Episcopal School’s Martin de Tours Award. In making the announcement, Head of School Merry Sorrells said, “We are so pleased to recognize Charles’ accomplishments with this award. He is a true friend to the St. Martin’s community and a leader in the greater New Orleans area.”  

After graduating from St. Martin's, Nelson earned a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He went on to complete a master’s in Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering at the University of Florida in 1974. 

Nelson serves as Director/Chairman of Waldemar S. Nelson and Company, Inc. As a professional engineer, he is a member of the Louisiana Engineering Society, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

Nelson has served in numerous leadership roles in the community, including serving on the boards of the Clean Power & Energy Research Consortium, Southeast Louisiana Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Salvation Army,  World Trade Center of New Orleans, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Technology Council, Loyola University International Business Center Advisory Board, UNO Engineering Advisory Board, and the Georgia Tech CEE External Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of New Orleans. 

Several organizations have recognized Nelson for his service. In 2013 he was the recipient of the A.B. Paterson Award for an Engineer in Management. He was named 2006 International Business Executive of the Year by Loyola University’s International Business Student Organization and the college’s international business faculty. In 2004 he received the Andrew M. Lockett Award for Civic Activities; this honor is awarded by the Louisiana Engineering Society for distinguished civic service by an engineer, in the interest of the public, without compensation for those services. 

Nelson and his wife Dorothy have two sons: Lee, age 28, who is finishing his doctorate in philosophy at the University of British Columbia, and Hunter (of St. Martin’s Class of 2006), a Clemson University engineering graduate who now works for Woodward Design+Build in New Orleans. Nelson is one of five siblings who all attended St. Martin’s; his brother and sisters are Mary Sue Nelson Roniger ’60, Martha Nelson Frost ’62, Ginger Nelson Dodge ’68, and Kenneth Nelson ’73.