Thomas A. Nelson founded and led TAN Books from its humble beginnings. Out of the trunk of his car, Thomas sold his very first title, The Secret of the Rosary—a book that, to this day, remains one of TAN’s bestsellers. From that single volume grew a publishing house dedicated to defending the Faith and handing on the traditions of the Church. Under his leadership, TAN became known for reprinting the classics of Catholic spirituality, defending the traditional liturgy, preserving the Douay-Rheims Bible, and restoring to circulation countless works of the saints that might otherwise have been lost. He passed away peacefully on August 16, 2025 with an Apostolic Pardon and Last Sacraments.