By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

Central Philippine University celebrates 120 years of Christian education and honors Dr. Linnea Agnes Nelson, a visionary leader whose faith, clarity, and academic excellence helped shape generations of Centralian educators and leaders.

As Central Philippine University celebrates 120 years of Christian education and service, we look back with deep gratitude to one of its most remarkable leaders: Dr. Linnea Agnes Nelson, a woman whose simplicity concealed extraordinary depth, whose humility embodied true greatness, and whose vision shaped generations of teachers and leaders at CPU.

Born on March 18, 1904, in Preston, Washington, U.S.A., Linnea Nelson grew up in a home of faith and service. Her father, Rev. Fredrick Oliver Nelson, was a missionary pastor of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, while her mother, Christine Westerlund Nelson, was a Swedish missionary known for her work among lumbermen in Michigan and Montana. From them, Linnea inherited both her Christian devotion and her passion for education.

Educational Formation and Missionary Calling

Dr. Nelson earned her Doctor of Education from the University of California (1946), Master of Arts from Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (1933), and Bachelor of Arts from the University of California (1926). Before coming to Asia, she served as a principal and dean of girls in California high schools. In 1935, she was appointed by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS) to serve in East China, where she became Supervisor of Cheng Mei School in Kinwa, Associate Professor of English at the University of Shanghai, and Consultant for the Tsoh Hsing and Cheng Mei Schools.

Her years in China ended with the communist takeover in 1949. Undeterred, she transferred to the Philippines in 1950, bringing with her not only rich academic experience but also a deeply grounded faith. She was appointed Dean of the newly established School of Graduate Studies at Central Philippine College, a position she held until 1968. Under her leadership, the Graduate School flourished, becoming a center for academic rigor and spiritual reflection.

CPU Leadership (Acting President, 1956–1957; 1965–1966)

Dr. Nelson’s integrity and wisdom led the Board of Trustees to elect her Acting President twice, first in 1956–1957, during Dr. Larsen’s furlough, and again in 1965–1966, following Dr. Joseph Howard’s departure for the United States (Central Echo, 1965).

Her presidency was marked by faith, intellect, and inclusivity. She wrote in her Christmas message to the CPU community, “It is a far better thing to live Christmas, to let the true meaning and wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ become a part of one’s very life and be reflected in every thought and deed” (Central Echo, 1965).

As Acting President, Dr. Nelson emphasized that education at CPU was not merely for personal advancement but for service. Her philosophy of education was succinct yet profound:

“Each school program should be planned to meet the needs of the pupils enrolled. The school should meet these needs by providing an environment which will help the pupils to develop the necessary habits, attitudes, ideas, knowledge, and skills and live what Jesus meant by the ‘abundant life’” (Central Echo, 1952).

An Educator with a Philosophy of Simplicity and Depth

Dr. Nelson’s peers described her as “a personality not easy to pin down” because her simplicity was profound — a “complex simplicity” born of wisdom. She could make “the complex simple and the simple profound.” She rejected academic pretension and lived out her belief that clarity was the highest form of intellect (Central Echo, 1952).

Her office, her speech, and her leadership reflected her unadorned faith. “The bigger the person, the simpler,” wrote the Echo in tribute to her humility and grace.

In her 1964 address titled “The Creative Teacher,” Dr. Nelson reminded faculty that “we teachers, like artists, are attempting to produce masterpieces, not with paint or music, but with human minds and souls.” For her, the heart of teaching was not mastery of content but love for students and passion for their growth. “A creative teacher,” she said, “recognizes that each student is unique… Every human being has inherent value and is entitled to all the help that the teacher can give” (Link, 1964).

Builder of the Graduate School and Keeper of Central’s Faith

Dr. Nelson was the first dean of the School of Graduate Studies, serving from 1950 to 1968. She strengthened academic standards, expanded the graduate program, and promoted a Biblical center for life and learning. She served simultaneously as faculty member of the College of Education and the English Department, acting head of the English Department, and faculty in the Bible Department.

Her influence extended beyond administration. She chaired key committees, such as the Building Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee, and later helped co-author “Scientia et Fides: The Story of Central Philippine University,” published in 1980 with Dr. Elma S. Herradura.

Even after her retirement in 1968, Dr. Nelson returned several times to CPU—in 1976 as interim Mission Correspondent and Financial Secretary of the ABFMS, and again in 1978 to lead the team tasked to write CPU’s history (Kasanag, 1978; Link, 1978).

A Legacy of Service and Vision

At the 1977 CPU Commencement Exercises, Dr. Nelson delivered her memorable speech “Dreamers and Builders.” She reminded graduates that “a school like this does not just start and then grow — it takes a dream, an idea, a plan, and the faith to make that dream come true.” She traced the vision of CPU’s founders from the Jaro Industrial School to the thriving university that it had become, urging the new generation to continue building with integrity and faith.

“Central Philippine University will live, Central Philippine University will prosper, only if we have here on the faculty and staff a core of able, dedicated persons who truly love the school and who really understand its highest dreams,” she declared (Nelson, 1977).

Her words remain timeless—a call to build, to serve, and to dream with God.

Recognition and Passing

Dr. Linnea A. Nelson passed away on September 4, 1999, in Oakland, California, at the age of 95. In 2005, she was posthumously honored with the CPU Posthumous Service Award for her “dedicated service and unswerving loyalty as acting president, administrative officer, Board of Trustees and Corporation member.”

Her legacy endures in the lives of her students, the continued excellence of the Graduate School, and the enduring faith that binds Central’s community together.

As we celebrate CPU’s 120th year, we remember Dr. Nelson as one of its builders and dreamers, a woman who lived by faith, taught with clarity, and led with humility.

References

• Central Echo. (1952, May–June). “In writing about Linnea Nelson…” Vol. 15, Nos. 6–7, p. 5.
• Central Echo. (1961, April 15). “Kelley Flies Home; Nelson to Follow.” Vol. 27, No. 1, p. 1.
• Central Echo. (1965, June 22). “Nelson Elected CPU Acting Head.” Vol. 30, No. 1, p. 1.
• Central Echo. (1965, December 25). “Christmas at Central.” Vol. 40, No. 9, p. 3.
• Link. (1964, December 19). “The Creative Teacher.” Vol. 2, No. 6.
• Kasanag. (1975, May 9). “On a Sentiment Visit.” Vol. 6, No. 118, p. 2.
• Kasanag. (1976, May 14–20). “Dr. Linnea Nelson.” Vol. 6, No. 140, p. 3.
• Kasanag. (1978, October 6). “Dr. Nelson Heads Team to Write CPU History Book.” Vol. 8, No. 23, p. 1.
• Link. (1978, May). “Dr. Nelson Addresses San Francisco Alumni.” Vol. 13, No. 6, p. 2.
• Nelson, L. A. (1977, April 3). Commencement Address. Central Philippine University, Iloilo City.
• CPU Golden Jubilee Souvenir Program. (1955), p. 70.
• CPU Posthumous Service Award Citation. (2005). Central Philippine University Archives.