James Nelson (Jun 9, 1866 - Feb 1, 1872)
Young Nelson, although only twenty-five years of age, already had four years of experience in the Civil War as a chaplain in the 44th Virginia Regiment. A historian has recorded: "In the revival which spread through the Army of Northern Virginia, James Nelson was one of the ministers who labored and preached to them." After five years of Kingdom building with the young church in Georgetown, he was called to the church at Farmville, and later to Staunton. While at Farmville he led a movement to establish a normal college for teacher training. Later, at the time of Dr. Nelson's death, the Richmond News Leader, in an editorial, credited Dr. Nelson with having secured action by the General Assembly establishing state colleges at Farmville, and later at Harrisonburg, Radford, and Fredricksburg. Virginians will remember Dr. Nelson for his long successful leadership as president of Woman's College, Richmond. Revered and honored, he died in 1921.