The Nelson Brothers
The teens who fought to survive the Negro Boys Industrial School fire
Joe and Willie Lee Nelson, brothers from North Little Rock, attended Jones School where this photo was taken in 1957. In 1958, Joe was arrested for purse theft, and by January 1959, both brothers faced charges of burglary and grand larceny. They were committed to the Negro Boys Industrial School in Wrightsville, Arkansas arriving only a day or two before the tragic fire.
Both boys survived the blaze. Their voices and recollections are brought to life in the podcast through actors. In the years that followed, Joe and Willie Lee went on to build full lives, eventually marrying and raising families of their own.
Joe Nelson died in 2012 and Willie died in 2000. Both men are buried in Carlisle, Lonoke County, Arkansas.