Poultry, Animal Science Professor Talmadge Nelson Passes Away

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The service for Talmadge Nelson is Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by an event at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences at 2:30 p.m.

Talmadge Nelson, who retired as U of A University Professor of poultry science and animal science in 1994, passed away Dec. 20 in Fayetteville.

A faculty member in both departments, his research involved the study of minerals, and he is credited with some of the original work on phytase to hydrolyze phytase phosphorus in the digestive tract of chickens, making it available for metabolic use.

Talmadge was a member of the strategic planning committee for the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. For many years, he was in charge of the department's scholarship program, served as co-chairman of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference and was contest coordinator of the National Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest.

He also enjoyed mentoring students, including poultry science professor and former department head Michael Kidd.

"Dr. Nelson impacted my life and influenced my research career with his keen methodology, but when we met in 1988, I had no idea of the impact of his research," said Kidd. "Indeed, his chemistry discoveries, namely with phytase in broiler chicks, were so impactful he was truly ahead of his time. In 2016, he co-authored a book chapter with me on phytase and we drafted a tribute to his early phytase work which described research results from the mid-1960s, and established that his work was over half a century ahead of current knowledge."

In 1980, he was invited by the American Soybean Association and Foreign Agriculture Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to travel to Beijing, China, as a part of the first U.S. Agri Trade Show in China. He was a featured expert to discuss how China could improve poultry feeds. He also received research grants from the Arkansas Poultry Federation and Tyson Foods to conduct feeding experiments to solve "weak legs" in chicks.

He received the American Feed Industries Nutrition Research award from the Poultry Science Association, recognizing his contributions to poultry research.

Born Jan. 25, 1928, in Booneville, Arkansas, to Seab Sam and Pearl Eula Pyles Nelson, he graduated from Booneville High School in 1946 and joined the Navy shortly after when a woman from the draft office called to let him know his number for army service would be drawn the following week. He served in Navy Air Group 19, and worked as an airplane mechanic for the F8F Bearcat on the U.S. Boxer aircraft carrier, and received a WWII Victory medal.

After his Navy service ended in 1948, Talmadge enrolled at the U of A, and majored in animal and poultry science. He graduated in 1952, and worked for the Arkansas Plant Board before earning a master's degree from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. While attending Cornell, Talmadge met Laverne Smith during summer breaks.  

They eventually married and lived in Glenview, Illinois, where he worked for International Mineral and Chemical Corporation in the Research and Development Division.

In his spare time, Nelson volunteered for the Goshen Fire Department, responding to fires, medical emergencies and car accidents.

Nelson transitioned into retirement and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, making toys, hiking to the pond and giving them rides in a red wagon behind his lawnmower.

He played golf and was part of a Wednesday morning coffee group. He also enjoyed Laverne's social groups, including the Food for Thought book club, summer art camps, and Watercolor and Wine gatherings. After Laverne passed, he asked if he could continue joining the weekly happy hour meeting, and the group became affectionately known as Tal's Winos.

A graveside service is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6, at Son's Chapel Cemetery in Fayetteville, under the direction of Moore's Chapel in Fayetteville. A Celebration of Life event follows at 2:30 p.m. at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 W. Altheimer Drive, Fayetteville.

Guests are welcome to attend either or both services.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Department of Poultry Science. To place an online tribute, please visit.