As early as the first acquistions made by T.B. and Nellie, one can see both the geologic, scientific, and historical significance of the collection. The now famous collection began almost by accident in the depths of the Depression as Thomas Bird and Nellie Estelle Gillespie were window shopping in Seattle, Washington. There in 1935, the couple's imagination was sparked when they viewed a small display of unusual mineral specimens in a local shop. Thomas, now semi-retired from his road construction company at the age of forty, was about to begin his second career as a professional mineral collector.

As a native of Palmerdale, Alabama, Thomas had grown up in the mineralized area of Alabama's Jefferson County while Nellie gained her appreciation and knowledge of gemstones from her father, a Palatka, Florida jeweler. Their fascination with the beauty of minerals began their amazing collecting journey and the beginning of the Gillespie collection.

The Donation to Stetson University