Mervyn Austin Nixon was born in Auckland on August 5 1912 and educated at Auckland Teachers' College and Auckland University, graduating with an MA with 1st class honours in French and Latin. He was New Zealand's first community centre director at Dargaville from 1945-1948. He was senior adult education tutor in the Palmerston North area for Victoria University 1948-1956 and then Head of the English Department at PNBHS. He was also President of the New Zealand Library Association 1963-1965.