Dr. William Stuart Nelson, 1895-1977. Lincoln Grad Had Global Footprints- Dr. Nelson was born in Paris, Ky. and graduated from Lincoln High School in Paducah. During World War I he served in combat as a 1st lieutenant. Returning to his studies, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1920 and a divinity degree from Yale in 1924. Over. (Reverse) A professor of religion at Howard, Nelson studied at the Sorbonne in France in 1925 and was the first black president of Dillard and Shaw universities. Returning to Howard, he served as dean & vice president. He marched with Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and wrote several books and papers on non- violent resistance. This park was named for him in the 1940s.