# Howard C. Nielson

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American politician (1924–2020)

This article is about the former U.S. Representative Howard C. Nielson. For his son and the jurist, see [Howard C. Nielson Jr.](/source/Howard_C._Nielson_Jr.)

Howard C. Nielson Member of the Utah Senate from the 16th district In office January 20, 1997 – December 31, 2000 Preceded by Charles H. Stewart Succeeded by Curt Bramble Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 3rd district In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1991 Preceded by Constituency established Succeeded by Bill Orton Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives In office January 8, 1973 – January 12, 1975 Preceded by Richard C. Howe Succeeded by Ronald L. Rencher Member of the Utah House of Representatives In office January 9, 1967 – January 12, 1975 Personal details Born Howard Curtis Nielson (1924-09-12)September 12, 1924 Richfield, Utah, U.S. Died May 20, 2020(2020-05-20) (aged 95) South Carolina, U.S. Party Republican Spouse(s) Julia Adams (died 2003) Donna Packard (2006–2015; her death) Children 7 (including Howard Jr. and Jim) Alma mater University of Utah (BS) University of Oregon (MS) Stanford University (MBA, PhD) Military service Allegiance United States Branch/service United States Army Air Forces Years of service 1943–1946 Rank Sergeant Battles/wars World War II

**Howard Curtis Nielson** (September 12, 1924 – May 20, 2020) was an American politician in the [Republican Party](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)). From 1983 to 1991, Nielson represented [Utah's](/source/Utah) [3rd congressional district](/source/Utah's_3rd_congressional_district) in the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives).

## Early life

Nielson was born in [Richfield, Utah](/source/Richfield%2C_Utah); his paternal grandparents were immigrants from [Denmark](/source/Denmark).[1] After graduating from Richfield High School in 1942,[2] he served as a sergeant in the [United States Army Air Forces](/source/United_States_Army_Air_Forces) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) from 1943 to 1946. He continued his education, earning his [B.S.](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) from the [University of Utah](/source/University_of_Utah) in 1947, [M.S.](/source/Master_of_Science) from the [University of Oregon](/source/University_of_Oregon) in 1949, and [M.B.A.](/source/Master_of_Business_Administration) and [Ph.D](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) from [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University) in 1956 and 1958, respectively.[3]

He later founded the Department of Statistics at [Brigham Young University](/source/Brigham_Young_University), Provo.

## Political career

Nielson first served in political office as a member of the [Utah House of Representatives](/source/Utah_House_of_Representatives) from 1967 to 1974, serving as Speaker of the House in his last term. He was an associate commissioner on the Utah Commission for Higher Education for two years. He was a delegate to the Utah State Republican Conventions from 1960 to 1982.[3]

He was elected as a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) to the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from [Utah](/source/Utah) and served four terms, from January 3, 1983, to January 3, 1991. While in Congress, Nielson sponsored two resolutions calling on Israel to reopen Palestinian schools and colleges.[4] In 1985 he was one of just two "nay" voters on a resolution urging [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan) to extradite gangster [Chen Chi-li](/source/Chen_Chi-li), who had murdered dissident journalist [Henry Liu](/source/Henry_Liu) in San Francisco the previous year.[5][6] He also cosponsored a bill to limit tobacco advertising.[7] He also was a leading proponent of releasing the names of people who tested positive for [AIDS](/source/AIDS) to Public Health Officials.[8] Nielson was also one of the main negotiators of the 1990 Clean Air Act.[9] Nielson was an early promoter of rating of song lyrics.[10]

In 1996, Nielson was elected to the [Utah State Senate](/source/Utah_State_Senate).[11] He retired from Congress so he could serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with his wife. They served as missionaries in both [Australia](/source/Australia) and [Hungary](/source/Hungary).[12]

## Personal life

Nielson and his wife Julia had seven children, three sons and four daughters.[13]

Nielson's first wife died in 2003. He later married Donna Esther Brown, herself a widow and the sister of one of his former House colleagues, [Ron Packard](/source/Ron_Packard) of California.[11] Donna died in 2015 of bone marrow cancer.[14] Howard Nielson died on May 20, 2020, at the age of 95.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

One of Nielson's children, [Howard Jr.](/source/Howard_C._Nielson_Jr.), is a Judge on the [United States District Court for the District of Utah](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Utah) beginning in 2019.[15][16]

## See also

- [54th Utah State Legislature](/source/54th_Utah_State_Legislature)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["United States Census, 1930"](https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH6K-2TT), *[FamilySearch](/source/FamilySearch)*, retrieved March 6, 2018

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Haymond, Jay M. (1994), ["NIELSON, HOWARD CURTIS"](https://web.archive.org/web/20241007114640/https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/n/NIELSON_HOWARD.shtml), [*Utah History Encyclopedia*](https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/), University of Utah Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780874804256](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780874804256), archived from [the original](https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/n/NIELSON_HOWARD.shtml) on October 7, 2024, retrieved June 7, 2025

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-congress_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-congress_3-1) ["NIELSON, Howard Curtis, (1924 - )"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=n000106). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *Deseret News*, February 1st, 1991

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [*House Vote #49 in 1985*](https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/99-1985/h49), govtrack.us, retrieved 2012-07-27

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NYT19850418_6-0)** ["Taiwan Rejects Request by U.S. for 2 Convicts"](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E0DA1138F93BA25757C0A963948260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/M/Murders%20and%20Attempted%20Murders). *The New York Times*. 1985-04-18. Retrieved 2008-01-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** *Deseret News* June 27th, 1990

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** *Deseret News* June 14th, 1990

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** *Deseret News* May 24th, 1990

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** *Deseret News*, April 25th, 1990

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ReferenceA_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ReferenceA_11-1) *Deseret Morning News*, October 8th, 2006

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Famous Mormons in Politics](http://famousmormons.net/pol2.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080416235959/http://famousmormons.net/pol2.html) 2008-04-16 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** *Deseret News* August 6th, 1990

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [Obituary: Donna Esther Packard Brown Nielson](http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsday/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-a-downey&pid=2404912) Published in *The Salt Lake Tribune*. Retrieved March 6, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** [" President Donald J. Trump Announces Eighth Wave of Judicial Candidates" White House, September 28, 2017](https://web.archive.org/web/20170928222558/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/09/28/president-donald-j-trump-announces-eighth-wave-judicial-candidates)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [Roll Call Vote 116th Congress - 1st Session United States Senate Vote Summary: Vote Number 123, United States Senate, May 22, 2019](https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=1&vote=00123)

## External links

- United States Congress. ["Howard C. Nielson (id: N000106)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=N000106). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

- [Appearances](https://www.c-span.org/person/?1888) on [C-SPAN](/source/C-SPAN)

U.S. House of Representatives New district Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 3rd congressional district 1983–1991 Succeeded by Bill Orton Utah State Senate Preceded by Charles H. Stewart Member of the Utah State Senate from the 16th district 1997–2001 Succeeded by Curt Bramble

v t e United States representatives from Utah Territorial (1851–1895) Seat Bernhisel Hooper Bernhisel Kinney Hooper G. Cannon Caine Rawlins F. Cannon One at-large seat (1895–1913) Seat Allen W. King Sutherland Howell Two at-large seats (1913–1915) Seat Howell Seat Johnson Districts (1915–present) (3rd district established in 1983) (4th district established in 2013) 1st district Howell Welling Colton Murdock Granger Stringfellow Dixon Peterson Burton McKay Hansen Bishop Moore 2nd district Mays Leatherwood Loofbourow Robinson Dawson Bosone Dawson D. King Lloyd D. King Lloyd W. Owens Howe Marriott Monson W. Owens Shepherd Greene Waldholtz Cook Matheson Stewart Maloy 3rd district Nielson Orton C. Cannon Chaffetz Curtis Kennedy 4th district Matheson Love McAdams B. Owens

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Howard C. Nielson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_C._Nielson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_C._Nielson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.