Nelder was a graduate of Cambridge U. In 1951 he joined the staff of the National Vegetable Research Station at Wellesbourne, becoming Head of Statistics. In 1968 he joined the staff of Rothamsted, becoming Head of the Biomathematics Division. From 1972 to 2009 he was a visiting Professor at IC. He was co-author (with Wedderburn) of the 1972 paper that introduced the generalized linear model and led to the construction of the GLIM statistical package. He was elected FRS in 1981. He was President of the IBS in 1978 and was elected an Honorary Life Member of the Society in 2006. President of the RSS in 1985, he was awarded its Guy Medal in Silver in 1977 and in Gold in 2005.

http://projecteuclid.org/DPubS?service=UI&version=1.0&verb=Display&handle=euclid.ss/1056397489 Biography, interview, and photograph.