(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
Charles David Nash
Someone
once
called
Charles
David
Nash
"a
laughing
genius."
That
about
describes
this
mechanical
wizard
who
owns
and
operates
Nash Special Machine Company located at the top of Palestine hill.
David
Nash
was
born
in
Alderson
in
1926,
the
son
of
J.
Frank
and
Rachel
Tuckwiller
Nash,
the
grandson
of
Dr.
C.
P.
Nash.
He
grew
up
in
Alderson
and
was
graduated
from
West
Point
Military
Academy
in
June,
1948,
with
a
B.S.
degree
in
military
engineering.(Click
on photo for larger view)
In
1953
he
started
to
invent
and
design
special
machines.
These
machines
are
high
speed
folders
of
paper
and
tissue
paper
inserts
for
paint
color
cards,
which
are
used
by
paint
manufacturers
such
as
Sherwin-Williams,
Dupont
and
others.
He
has
also
invented,
designed
and
built
machines
to
put
the
glue
on
such
color
displays
and
then
apply
"color
chips"
to
the
glue.
Other
machines
Nash
has
built
chicken
giblet wrappers, shirt paper boards, and hosiery inserts. He has three patents and about twelve "registered" or copyrighted inventions.
Nash
employs
from
four
to
seven
men,
all
of
whom
live
nearby,
and
all
are
highly
skilled
craftsmen.
He
has
plans
to
expand
his
present
small
plant
to
manufacture
some
of
the
products
his
machines
can
make.
David
Nash
can
design
and
build
nearly
any
kind
of
machine
from
an
idea.
Then
he
and
his craftsmen can produce it to operate perfectly.
More from the eulogy on the West Point website:
Charles D. Nash, Class 1948
No. 16532 / 6 Jun 1926 - 3 Aug 1994
Died in Berea, KY
Inurned in Rosewood Cemetery, Lewisburg, WV, and Union Church Memorial Garden, Berea, KY
Charles
Nash
was
born
in
Alderson,
WV,
the
second
of
three
sons
to
J.
Frank
and
Rachel
Tuckwiller
Nash.
While
growing
up
in
Alderson,
CD
was
active
in
sports
and
enjoyed
playing
music.
He
was
given
a
drum
set
as
a
young
boy
but
was
allowed
to
practice
playing
the
drums
only
on
a
raft
in
the
middle
of
the
river
that
divided
the
town.
He
also
played
the
flute
and
later
was
a
member
of
the
West
Virginia
State
High
School
Band.
CD
did
well
academically,
skipping
third
grade.
He
was
the
smallest
player
on
the
athletic
teams,
but
he
lettered
in
both
football
and
basketball
in
each
of
his
four
years
of
high
school.
He
graduated
from
high
school
at
16
years
of
age
as
valedictorian
of
his
class.
CD
then
entered
Purdue
University
to
study
engineering.
In
his
freshman
year
at
Purdue,
he
received
appointments
to
West
Point
and
the
Naval
Academy.
He
chose
the
Military
Academy
and
mechanical engineering was his field of study.
While
a
cadet,
he
was
very
active
in
sports.
He
played
lacrosse
and
football,
swam,
and
participated
in
track
and
field,
lettering
in
each
of
these
sports.
As
a
plebe,
he
broke
the
long
jump
record.
He
was
also
a
member
of
the
mile
relay
team
that
set
a
record
that
stood
for
fourteen
years
and
captain
of
the
track
team
for
the
1947
-
1948
season.
CD
received
the
award
for
the
cadet
who
had
done
the
most
for
athletics
during
his
four
years
at
the
USMA,
but
he
also
was
on
the
Ring
Committee
for
four
years
and
in
the
Art
Club
for
two
years.
His
other
activities
included
participating
in
the
choir,
Chess
Club,
and
Dialectic
Society
and
serving
on
the
Honor
Committee.
He
also
was
a
cheerleader,
a
Sunday
School
helper,
and
on
the
Howitzer staff.
In
his
First
Class
year,
CD
made
lieutenant
and
chose
pilot
training
for
his
branch
of
service.
He
was
an
excellent
student
and
graduated
high
in
his
class.
His
later
thoughts
were
that
he
could
have
been
on
the
inside
track
for
becoming
one
of
the
first
astronauts,
but
CD
developed
diabetes
that
year.
He
was
allowed
to
graduate,
and
then
he
was
immediately
given
a
medical
discharge.
He
served
as
the
secretary
of
the
Class
of
1948
for
several years.
After
graduation,
CD
worked
in
various
businesses
in
New
Orleans,
Atlanta,
and
Chicago
before
returning
to
Alderson
to
open
his
own
machine-
building
business.
He
enjoyed
the
challenge
of
taking
an
idea
and
turning
it
into
a
working
piece
of
machinery.
CD
built
prototype
machines
for
a
number of industries, and several patents were issued in his name.
In
Alderson,
he
lived
on
the
family
farm
with
his
wife
Mary.
They
raised
five
children
and
became
grandparents
to
eight
grandchildren.
He
was
a
Deacon,
an
Elder,
and
the
Sunday
School
superintendent
in
the
Alderson
Presbyterian
Church.
He
also
was
a
4-H
leader
and
was
active
in
the
Alderson Development Group.
Education
was
very
important
to
CD.
All
five
of
his
children
completed
college
and
received
bachelors
degrees,
one
earned
his
masters
degree,
and
two earned their doctorates.
CD
made
friends
quickly.
He
looked
at
situations
in
life
from
a
unique
perspective
and
was
always
optimistic
that
there
was
a
solution
to
any
problem.
He
was
a
skilled
and
inspiring
teacher
and
coach
who
was
always
willing
to
share
his
knowledge
and
experience.
His
expertise
ranged
from
how
to
position
hands,
pump
arms,
and
point
toes
when
running,
to
the
intricacies
of
fabricating
a
worm
gear
out
of
a
solid
block
of
brass.
He
taught
many
people
how
to
shake
hands,
tie
a
tie,
milk
a
cow,
shear
a
sheep,
spin
wool,
weave
a
white
oak
basket,
design
and
carve
a
wooden
lapel
pin,
or
live
an honorable, dignified life.
In
1984,
CD
moved
to
Berea,
KY,
with
Mary
while
she
completed
her
college
degree.
While
in
Berea,
he
became
a
volunteer
coach
for
the
Berea
College
track
team
and
the
Dolphin
diving
team.
One
of
his
divers
went
on
to
become
an
All-American.
After
a
two-year
battle
with
cancer
and
complications from diabetes, Charles David Nash died in Berea, KY, on 3 Aug 1994. He is missed by all who knew him.
The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV Used by permission - November 18, 2008
Main Index
The History of Alderson, West Virginia
From The Journal Of The Greenbrier Historical Society On Alderson, West Virginia
Written by Kenneth D. Swope - Compiled and Transcribed by Barry Worrell
