Don Welch is a poet and an educator who was born in Hastings, Nebraska. The author of several published poetry collections and regular contributor to literary magazines, Welch was an English professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney from 1959 to 1997. While there he was awarded the Distinguished Paul W. Reynolds and Clarice Kingston Reynolds Endowed Chair in English, Poetry & Creative Writing. In June 2001 a bronze sculpture of Welch was finished and dedicated to him on the campus. Born in Hastings, Nebraska, Welch spent his early years in the towns of Gothenburg as well as Columbus. After graduating from Kearney Senior High School in Kearney, Nebraska he earned a Bachelors of Arts degree from University of Nebraska at Kearney; a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado, and; a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Welch and his wife Marcia recently celebrated their fifty-fifth wedding anniversary, and have five children. 

June 3rd, 1932 in Hastings (Age 92)