Items related to Nedderman, Wendell
Wendell Nedderman was born in 1921 in Lovilia, Iowa, to Fern Gray Nedderman and Walter
Nedderman; a sister followed soon afterwards. He graduated from Lovilia High School and
earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Iowa State...
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Nedderman, Wendell
Wendell Nedderman was born in 1921 in Lovilia, Iowa, to Fern Gray Nedderman and Walter
Nedderman; a sister followed soon afterwards. He graduated from Lovilia High School and
earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University in 1943. Upon graduation, he
joined the Navy and entered the U.S. Naval Academy’s Reserve Midshipman’s School.
During World War II, Nedderman served as an Engineering Officer in the Pacific.
After being discharged from the Navy, Nedderman became an instructor of civil engineering
at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and also obtained his master’s degree
during this time. In 1947, he met and married Betty Vezey, a graduate of Texas Women’s
University who was born and raised in College Station.
Taking leave from A&M in 1951, he returned to Iowa State University and obtained his Ph.D.
in Civil Engineering. He then resumed his teaching role at Texas A&M. In 1959, the family
moved to Arlington, Texas, when Nedderman was selected as the first Dean of Engineering
for the University of Texas at Arlington. He held this post from 1959 to 1969
.
Between 1967 and 1968, he also served as Vice President for Research and Graduate
Affairs, and Graduate School administrator, and as Vice President for Academic Affairs from
1968 to 1972. He became Acting President in 1972 and continued as President from 1974
until 1992. Upon retirement in 1992, he was named president emeritus.
During Nedderman’s tenure as UTA president, the value of the university physical plant
increased from approximately $50 million to approximately $280 million dollars. Physical
plant updates in the 1970s included modifications to improve campus and building
accessibility for people with disabilities—a policy that was established early in his tenure as
president. The Nedderman Administration had a strong relationship with the Office for
Students with Disabilities.
After stepping down from the presidency, Nedderman returned to the classroom. He taught
the Structure of Materials course in the Civil Engineering department from 1992 to 2004
before fully retiring. Dr. Nedderman currently resides in Frisco, Texas; Betty Nedderman
died in early 2015. They have four sons, thirteen grandchildren, and nine greatgrandchildren.