School History
Nelson traces its origin back to facilities rented from J.T. Dowdell beginning in 1895 with Molly Nelson as teacher. In the late 1890s the building on the "Dowdell property" (now 1000 Cincinnati) was called the West End School. Classes met there while a permanent structure was being constructed on land fronting Bandera Street (now N. Elmendorf).
When completed Nov. 1, 1900, the four-room brick building was called School #14, and then in May 1902 named the Francisco Ruiz School after an early patriot and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
The name was changed to Pauline Nelson in 1926, in honor of principal Molly Nelson's deceased mother. The present structure was erected in 1930.