Draft:Nelson Meade
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Nelson Meade | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ann Arbor City Council from Ward 3 | |
| In office April 1971 – April 1974 | |
| In office April 1989 – April 1993 | |
| President of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission | |
| In office 1999 – December 2013 | |
| Commissioner of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission | |
| In office August 1973 – December 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nelson Kay Meade 1927 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | June 11, 2018 (aged 91) Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Catherine Meade (m. 53 years) |
| Alma mater | Wayne State University (BA) University of Michigan (MPA) |
| Occupation | University administrator, public official |
Nelson Kay Meade (1927 – June 11, 2018) was an American public administrator, civic leader, and local politician in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[1] He served two separate tenures as a member of the Ann Arbor City Council representing Ward 3 (1971–1974 and 1989–1993) and was a founding commissioner of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC), serving on the body for 40 years. In 2013, Washtenaw County's County Farm Park was formally renamed the Nelson Meade County Farm Park in his honor.
Early life and education
[edit]Meade was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1927. He served in the United States Army during World War II. Following his military service, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Wayne State University and a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from the University of Michigan.[2]
Professional career
[edit]Meade worked as a university administrator at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, where he served as the administrator for the Department of Epidemiology. During his career at the university, he worked on the landmark Tecumseh Community Health Study.[2]
Civic career
[edit]Ann Arbor City Council and municipal service
[edit]Meade was first elected to the Ann Arbor City Council as a Democrat representing Ward 3 in 1971, serving until 1974. Shortly after taking office in 1971, he was approached by constituents seeking assistance to establish community garden plots on public land. This led to his influential role in 1972 establishing Project Grow Community Gardens on eight acres of the recently vacated Washtenaw County Infirmary property. This initial location grew into the oldest and largest site within the organization's network.[3][4]
Meade returned to municipal elective office in 1989, serving a second tenure on the city council representing Ward 3 through 1993.[2] In addition to his terms on city council, Meade served on the Ann Arbor City Planning Commission and was involved in founding the Packard Community Health Clinic, an organization established to offer medical services regardless of a patient's racial and cultural background or their ability to pay.[5][2]
Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
[edit]Meade served as a founding commissioner of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC) when it was established in August 1973.[6][7] He remained an active commissioner on WCPARC for 40 years until his retirement in December 2013, including more than 14 years as president of the commission.[5]
In the commission's early years, WCPARC had virtually no budget and oversaw only four minor roadside sites. Despite these funding limitations, Meade was instrumental in the hiring of the county's first park director, Bob Gamble. The commission faced early setbacks, such as a 1976 quarter-mill park tax proposal that was narrowly defeated by just 349 votes. However, over his four decades with WCPARC, Meade helped guide the expansion of the county park system into an extensive network of nature preserves and recreational facilities. By the time he retired, the system had protected over 14,000 acres of land and developed major public amenities including Independence Lake, Rolling Hills, and the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center.[7][8]
Upon his retirement from the commission in December 2013, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution formally renaming County Farm Park in eastern Ann Arbor to the Nelson Meade County Farm Park in tribute to his public service.[5] He was also a long-serving member of the "Friends of Parker Mill" board, supporting the development of another prominent county park site.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Meade was married to Catherine for 53 years, and they had two children.[2] Outside of local governance, he was an avid outdoorsman, serving as a volunteer trail builder and camp chef on Sierra Club national park trips across the United States.[2] Meade died in Ann Arbor on June 11, 2018, at the age of 91.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Nelson Meade Obituary (1927 - 2018) - Ann Arbor, MI - Ann Arbor News". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Nelson Meade Obituary (1927 - 2018)". The Ann Arbor News. MLive. June 17, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ^ "Back to the Garden". The Ann Arbor Observer. Ann Arbor Observer. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ^ "County Farm Park". Wikipedia. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c "County Renames Park for Nelson Meade". The Ann Arbor Chronicle. December 22, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ^ "Ann Arbor District Library Archives". Ann Arbor District Library. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ^ a b "Building the County Parks". The Ann Arbor Observer. Ann Arbor District Library. November 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
- ^ "Parks & Recreation". Washtenaw County Government. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
{{cite web}}: Text "Washtenaw County, MI" ignored (help)