George Nelson was born on May 29, 1908, in Hartford.
Starting in 1924, he studied architecture at Yale and graduated in 1928. Winning the prestigious Rome Prize in 1932, he traveled through Europe and met pioneers of modernist architecture such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Gio Ponti.

Returning to the United States in 1935, Nelson dedicated a decade to writing for architecture magazines, interviewing American architects—including Charles Eames, with whom he would later collaborate—and publishing an innovative book, Tomorrow’s House.

Following the publication of this book, Herman Miller selected George Nelson as its design director. Nelson accepted and began a 25-year collaboration, holding the position until 1972. He recruited innovative architects and designers like Ray and Charles Eames, Harry Bertoia, Isamu Noguchi, Richard Schultz, Donald Knorr, and Don Chadwick, significantly contributing to Herman Miller’s success.

In 1947, Nelson founded his own design firm in New York, which became George Nelson Associates, Inc. in 1955. He hired designers who would become renowned and create significant works. Whether it was George Mulhauser for the famous Coconut Chair attributed to Nelson, or Ronald Beckman for the Sling Sofa, the furniture shared a unified style: functional, simple, practical, modernist while remaining classic.

George Nelson closed his firm in 1980 and passed away in New York in 1986, leaving behind a significant legacy in 20th-century modern and functional design.