Arthur C. Nielsen Jr., Former CEO of The Nielsen Company, Dies at 92

Arthur C. Nielsen Jr. of Winnetka, former chairman and CEO of The Nielsen Company, died at the age of 92 on Monday Oct. 3, surrounded by his family.

Nielsen applied the talents that made him a leader in the world of business to the benefit of his community and country.

Business Accomplishments

Under Nielsen’s guidance, the company his father founded known for its television ratings, had grown at the time of his retirement at age 65 from a small enterprise to world leadership in five businesses with 22,000 employees and operations in 25 countries.

One of the first people to grasp the commercial potential of the computer, Nielsen had the company invest in the first general-purpose computer, the UNIVAC, and leadership in the use of computers was one of the keys to the company’s success. 

Nielsen’s acumen was recognized by other business leaders, who invited him to serve on the boards of more than 20 major corporations, including Walgreens, Motorola and the Harris Bank.

Community Outreach

Nielsen’s contributions to his community are equally impressive. He was the lead donor of the Arthur C. Nielsen Jr. Campus of the North Shore Senior Center in Northfield*, which serves 35,000 seniors in 23 suburbs. Nielsen is co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Broadcast Communications Museum in Chicago, which is home to America’s only Radio Hall of Fame.

Nielsen had leadership roles in dozens of other educational, medical, business and philanthropic organizations, including the Gertrude B. Nielsen Child Care and Learning Center in Northbrook, the A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research at the University of Wisconsin, the Arthur C. Nielsen Jr. Research Professorship of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the Nielsen USTA Pro Tennis Championship, which is held in Winnetka every summer at the .

Government Service

Nielsen has a long record of government service. During World War II, he served four years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, attaining the rank of major and earning the Legion of Merit Award. 

He has been chairman of the U.S. Census Bureau Advisory Committee, a commissioner of the U.S. Information Agency, and has served on many Presidential Advisory Committees and represented the U.S. on international missions to France, Italy, Israel, Japan and India. To acknowledge his work in India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi honored him with an award at a White House ceremony.

Personal Life

Nielsen played competitive tennis from his days as co-captain of the State Champion New Trier Tennis Team until his mid-80s, winning four national championships and playing for the U.S. in International Senior Tennis Competitions.

Nielsen married Patricia McKnew (1922-2005) in 1943 and is survived by their three children: Dr. Arthur C. Nielsen III (wife Sheila, daughters Jennifer, Kathryn, and Cynthia); John Christopher Nielsen (wife Laurie, daughters Emily and Genevieve); and Elizabeth Cocciarelli (husband Maurizio, sons John and Richard).

He is also survived by his brother Philip and sisters Margaret Stiegele and the Reverend Dr. Barbara Nielsen.