May 26, 2022
Celebration of Paul and Bonnie Nelson June 11
The K-State community is invited to attend a service and reception to celebrate the lives of Paul and Bonnie Nelson, emeritus professors, at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Hilton Garden Inn, 410 S. Third St., Manhattan. Please RSVP by May 27 to Amanda Nelson.
Following the service and reception at the Hilton Garden Inn, guests are invited to Welcome Cemetery where both are buried.
Paul Nelson, professor emeritus of statistics, and Bonnie Nelson, associate professor emeritus of English, died in December 2021 and July 2019, respectively.
Paul Nelson retired in 2015 and was recognized for 32 years of dedicated service to the statistics department. He was an established researcher with a national and international reputation having contributed fundamental work in the area of estimation for stochastic processes. In addition, he was known for his research on prediction of order statistics and nonparametric testing procedures. Known as an excellent and innovative teacher, he taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate-level classes. Notably, while at K-State, he served as major professor for nine doctoral and 38 master's students in statistics. To many of his students, he was a father figure, providing advice and encouragement throughout their careers. Read more about Paul Nelson.
Bonnie Nelson retired in 2016 after 33 years of service to K-State. Her scholarship in technical writing and restoration and 18th-century British literature opened up new lines of inquiry in terms of gender and pedagogy. As a teacher, she won accolades from students and colleagues throughout her career. For the college and the university, she played a key role in advancing opportunities for women. In her first year, she was appointed to the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. Following this appointment, she worked tirelessly and with great success to improve the academic and cultural climate for women at K-State. In addition, she served as chair of the Steering Committee of the Faculty’s Women’s Caucus. From 1994 to 2004 an award named in her honor — the Bonnie Nelson Leadership Award — recognized the success of other women faculty and administrators to improve conditions for women on campus. Read more about Bonnie Nelson.