Editing Bill Nelson (section)

== Early life and education ==
Nelson was born on September 29, 1942, in [[Miami, Florida]], the only child of Nannie Merle and Clarence William Nelson.<ref name=fourh>{{cite web |url=http://florida4h.org/foundation/fl4h/NelsonB.htm |title=Bill Nelson |publisher=Florida 4-H Hall of Fame |access-date=April 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301080242/http://florida4h.org/foundation/FL4H/NelsonB.htm |archive-date=March 1, 2012}}</ref> His father was a real estate investor and a lawyer.<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=McCarthy |first=John |date=October 11, 2018 |title=Bill Nelson: Noble career or career politician? Will Florida's senator bat 15-1 or 14-2? |work=Florida Today |url=https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/11/bill-nelson-profile/1348273002/ |access-date=January 5, 2022}}</ref> He is of Scottish, Irish, English, and Danish descent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.niuzer.com/Politics/Nelson-returns-to-his-Panhandle-roots-as-he-tours-state-in-closing-weeks-14651079.html|title=Niuzer.com|access-date=November 7, 2012|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063721/http://www.niuzer.com/Politics/Nelson-returns-to-his-Panhandle-roots-as-he-tours-state-in-closing-weeks-14651079.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/senators/nelsonbill.htm |title=bill nelson |publisher=Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com |access-date=November 20, 2013}}</ref> His father died of a heart attack when Nelson was 14 and his mother of [[ALS|Lou Gehrig's disease]] (ALS) when he was 24.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-10-29/news/0010290093_1_clarence-william-nelson-nelson-talks-bill-mccollum |title=Despite Similarities, Senate Hopefuls Have Big Differences |publisher=Sun-Sentinel |date=October 29, 2000 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=July 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728195045/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-10-29/news/0010290093_1_clarence-william-nelson-nelson-talks-bill-mccollum |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Nelson grew up in [[Melbourne, Florida]], where he attended [[Melbourne High School (Melbourne, Florida)|Melbourne High School]].<ref name="officialbio">{{Cite web |title=Biography |url= https://billnelson.senate.gov/about/biography.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804224841/http://billnelson.senate.gov/about/biography.cfm |archive-date=August 4, 2009 |access-date=August 30, 2022}}</ref>

Nelson attended [[Baptists|Baptist]] and [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] churches, but later was [[Immersion baptism|baptized through immersion]] in a Baptist church. He served as International President of Kiwanis-sponsored [[Key Club|Key Club International]] (1959–1960).<ref>''Kiwanis Magazine,'' December 2012, p. 14.</ref> In 2005, he joined the First Presbyterian Church in Orlando.<ref>Stratton, Jim. [https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2006-10-06-senreligion06-story.html "Nelson doesn't act like Christian, Harris says".] [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ ''Orlando Sentinel.''] October 6, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2010.</ref>

Nelson attended the [[University of Florida]], where he was a member of [[Florida Blue Key]] and [[Beta Theta Pi]] social fraternity.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Van Ness|first=Carl|date=2021|title=The Swamp, Undrained: What's Orange and Blue and Red? The Presidential Hopefuls and Other Politicians Who Have Made a Stop at the University of Florida. See Photos of Their Visits.|url=https://www.uff.ufl.edu/gatornation/the-swamp-undrained/|url-status=live|website=Www.uff.full.edu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221023642/https://www.uff.ufl.edu/gatornation/the-swamp-undrained/ |archive-date=December 21, 2021}}</ref> He transferred to [[Yale University]] after two years at the University of Florida.<ref name=":12" /> At Yale he would be roommates with [[Bruce Smathers]], the son of Florida senator [[George Smathers]]. Nelson received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] with a major in [[political science]] from Yale University in 1965 and a [[Juris Doctor]] from the [[University of Virginia]] in 1968.<ref name=whorunsgov>[http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Bill_Nelson "Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)".] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929143739/http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Bill_Nelson |date=September 29, 2009}} WhoRunsGov.com. Retrieved December 15, 2009.</ref>

In 1965, during the [[Vietnam War]], Nelson joined the [[United States Army Reserve]]. He served on active duty from 1968 to 1970, attaining the rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)#U.S. Army|Captain]], and he remained in the Army until 1971. Nelson was admitted to the [[The Florida Bar|Florida Bar]] in 1968, and began practicing law in Melbourne in 1970. In 1971, he worked as legislative assistant to Governor [[Reubin Askew]].<ref name=whorunsgov />