Glenn E. Nielson (May 26, 1903 – October 19, 1998) was the founder of Husky Refining Company, now

Husky Energy Husky Energy Inc. is a company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It operates in Western and Atlantic Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region, with upstream and downstream business segm ...

. He was nicknamed "Mr. Asphalt" because of his efforts to expand the use of asphalt in roads.New York Times obituary, 5 November 1998
/ref> Nielson was born in

Aetna, Alberta Aetna is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cardston County, located east of Highway 2, approximately southwest of Lethbridge. Settlement of the Aetna area began in 1888. Until 1893, the area was known as Snake Creek. In 1893 the ...

, Canada and raised in Cardston, Alberta. He graduated from Raymond Agricultural College and served missions for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) in England and California in the 1920s. Nielson received his bachelor's degree in economics from the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...

. He began his involvement in the oil industry in 1938 with the purchase of the Park Refining Company (Cody, WY) from Wyoming oil pioneer Valentine M. Kirk. Nielson's ongoing expansion in the industry included the 1951 purchase of a controlling interest in the Kirk & Krueger Drilling Company, started in 1945 by Valentine Kirk's son Carroll J. Kirk. After moving to the United States, Nielson became an American citizen. In 1966, Nielson became the chairman of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee. In the LDS Church, Nielson was president of the Big Horn

Stake Stake may refer to: Entertainment * '' Stake: Fortune Fighters'', a 2003 video game * ''The Stake'', a 1915 silent short film * "The Stake", a 1977 song by The Steve Miller Band from '' Book of Dreams'' * ''Stakes'' (miniseries), a Cartoon Netw ...

based in Lovell, Wyoming. In 1969, he became the director of

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

's development office. From 1973 to 1977 Nielson was the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the Washington D.C. Mission. Nielson also served as a regional representative of the Twelve and was a stake

patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

at the time of his death. Nielson married Olive Wood in the Cardston Alberta Temple in 1928. They had three daughters and two sons.

Notes

References

Ernest L. Wilkinson Ernest Leroy Wilkinson (May 4, 1899 – April 6, 1978) was an American academic administrator, lawyer, and prominent figure in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from ...

and

Leonard J. Arrington Leonard James Arrington (July 2, 1917 – February 11, 1999) was an American author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his man ...

, ed., ''Brigham Young University: The First 100 Years'' (Provo: BYU Press, 1975) Vol. 3, p. 584.
''New York Times'' Obituary of Nielsen, 5 Nov. 1998
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nielsen, Glenn 1903 births Canadian leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Canadian emigrants to the United States Mission presidents (LDS Church) Brigham Young University people University of Alberta alumni Mormon missionaries in England Canadian Mormon missionaries in the United States Patriarchs (LDS Church) 1998 deaths Regional representatives of the Twelve 20th-century Mormon missionaries Canadian Mormon missionaries American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints People from Cardston American Mormon missionaries in the United States Latter Day Saints from Wyoming