Wellin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 13, 1926 and was raised in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, he attended the Citadel and was stationed as an officer in Seoul, Korea. Following his Army service, Mr. Wellin returned to Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where he received a degree in Philosophy and English literature, then went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1952. During his career on Wall Street, Wellin served as president and vice chairman of E.F. Hutton, president of Reynolds Securities, and then chairman of DW Intercapital and vice chairman of Dean Witter Reynolds. He also served as chairman of Moorco International, Inc., a Houston-based energy equipment company. Wellin served as a life trustee of Hamilton College, where he was first elected to the board in 1969 and served as chairman of the college's Investment Committee. Together with his wife Wendy, Mr. Wellin was a significant benefactor of Hamilton, supporting special endowment projects and making transformative gifts to create spaces named in their honor for music, athletics and the sciences. In 2007, the Wellins made the single largest gift in the history of Hamilton College. Their $10 million lead gift to the arts funded the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum named in memory of his parents, which was dedicated in 2012. The Wellins returned to Charleston in 2005, where they quickly became engaged citizens and have been actively involved in local philanthropic efforts.