The family of the late Bill W. Nelson and Rotary Corporation, the company he built into an internationally-recognized leader in the outdoor power equipment industry, have made a major gift to the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation. The announcement was made Thursday by University President Dr. Brooks A. Keel. Ph.D. and Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein.

The generosity of the Nelson Family will fund the Hall of Fame in the new Ted Smith Family Football Center, which is located inside Paulson Stadium. It will be named the Bill W. Nelson Hall of Fame and will serve as a permanent recognition of inductees with highlights including the rich history of Eagle football.

In addition, Rotary Corporation has funded the “Field of Dreams” between the stadium’s east end zone and the football center. The field, which provides a game day experience for children 12 and under, was the brainchild of Kleinlein and Frank Hook, director of donor relations for Georgia Southern’s Athletic Foundation. The field measures 48’ wide X 144’ long and features artificial turf.

Since Paulson Stadium opened in 1984, kids have enjoyed sliding down the hills and playing football in the end zone. With stadium expansion and upgrades earlier this year, athletic department officials were determined to maintain certain traditions like this for future Eagles.

Bill Nelson passed away in 1999 but his philanthropic contributions and deep sense of community continue to be felt by people in southeast Georgia. He was a longtime supporter of education and built a strong relationship with Georgia Southern University. When Coach Erk Russell landed in Statesboro in 1981, Nelson was one of the first to step forward with a commitment to the Eagle program. On more than one occasion, Erk was known to say, “We need more people like Bill Nelson.”

Nelson purchased a small lawn mower repair shop from his uncle in 1957 and built Rotary Corporation, recognized today as the world’s largest supplier of outdoor power equipment parts. Based in Glennville, Rotary operates eight distribution centers in the U.S. and serves customers in all 50 states and 68 countries worldwide. Nelson’s son, Ed, currently serves as president and CEO of Rotary.

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