REV. JAMES NELSON
THEIR HONOR GUEST
Baptist Pastors Give Luncheon for
Retiring President of Woman's College.
REPLIES TO SKELETON TOASTS
Founded Institution Twenty-Four
Years Ago?One of First Advo
cates of Equal Education Opportunities for Men and Women.
On his retirement from active work
as the head of the Woman's College,
which next year will be merged with
Westhampton College, a luncheon was
given yesterday to Rev. James Nelson,
D.D., who for twenty-four years has
been president of the school.
The luncheon was given in Murphy's
Hotel by the Baptist Pastors' Conference. Rev. R. H. Pitt, D.D., presided.
There were several toast to Dr. Nelson,
to which he responded.
Those present were Governor H
Stuart, H. R. Pollard, Sr., Dr. J. A.
Handler and Revs W. Thorburn Clark.
Dr. Skinner, R. H. Rudd, Mr. Wright,
J. J. Parsons, C. A. Jenkins, Alfred
Ragby, Lloyd T. Wilson, P. Ryland,
W. E. Gibson, R. Johnson, George
W. McDaniel, J. F. Love, T. B. Ray,
J. Wicker, Mr. Penock, of Africa, and
Dr. Nelson.
Dr. Nelson founded the Woman's College twenty-four years ago, beginning with eighteen boarding students. Since that time the school has  had at one time son girls. Dr. Nelson was one of the first men in Virginia to advocate equal educational opportunities for men and women, and it was he who first obtained an appropriation for a normal school. Forty years ago he caused the consent of the general Assembly for an appropriation of $10,000 for a State normal school at Farmington. 