Arthur H. Nilson

Nilson, Arthur H.

Cataumet, MA: Arthur H. Nilson, of Cataumet, MA, age 87, died at his Cape Cod home on February 26, 2014. Dr. Nilson was Professor in the College of Engineering at Cornell University for 35 years, where he specialized in teaching and research in the field of structural analysis and design. He was for 5 years chairman of the Department of Structural Engineering. He was the author of over 40 technical papers, as well as two books on design of concrete structures. His textbooks were considered standard works in this country and abroad for many years. They were widely adopted throughout the U.S. and were translated into several foreign languages. Professor Nilson received the bachelor of science degree from Stanford University, master of science from Cornell University, and doctorate in engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He held visiting appointments at Manchester and Salford Universities in England and at the Politechnico de Milano in Italy. Upon his retirement from Cornell in 1991 he moved first to coastal Maine and then to Cape Cod. He was an enthusiastic sailor for all of his life, owned many boats, and particularly loved coastal cruising in New England waters from Long Island Sound to the central Maine coast. He played clarinet and saxophone for pleasure and professionally during his high school years, leading to a lifelong love of music of the "swing" era of the 30's and 40's, as well as of classical music. An enthusiastic photographer, he created a gallery of photos based on his travels at home and abroad. He was a skilled woodworker, built furniture, and did extensive cabinet work over the years. Art for many years had a strong interest in residential architecture. He designed and had built four residences in NY State, Maine, and Massachusetts, the first of which was selected for publication in a national home magazine. Nearly one- thousand sets of plans were sold. His architectural tastes ran toward what he described as "conservative contemporary" and all featured studio ceilings, extensive use of glass, and wide balconies. Professor Nilson is survived by his wife, Linda; by four children of a previous marriage, Russell Nilson of New Orleans, Sheryl Sedgwick of Charlottesville, VA, Carol Hansen of Ithaca, NY, and Kim Kabbes of Washington, D.C.; and by four grandchildren.