July 3, 1926 – October 28, 2026
Retired Professor Emeritus Nancy Watson Shelton – An HPU Superstar
Professor Shelton’s career at High Point University began in 1955, when she transferred credits earned at Middle Tennessee State College to complete her teaching degree. She later attended UNC–Chapel Hill to pursue a master’s degree in language arts. She also took additional coursework at George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and Belmont College, both on fellowships.
After teaching gifted students in the public schools for a number of years, she returned to High Point College in 1966 to teach in the Department of Education.
During her 22-year career, she was selected for an Alumni Chair of Learning, and in 1977 she received the John C. and Kathleen Y. Foy Distinguished Teaching-Service Award, an award similar to the Meredith Clark Slane Distinguished Teaching-Service Award presented each year at Commencement. During the presentation, HPC President Patton shared that Professor Shelton was “truly a dedicated and professional teacher in the finest sense of the word. She has a deep and abiding interest in students; she instills a sense of values far beyond the confines of the textbook or the classroom; she activates students in a most efficient and sensitive manner, while demanding quality performance.”
Professor Shelton also served as an adjunct instructor at both UNC–Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University. She conducted workshops for public school teachers in High Point and Winston-Salem on the teaching of reading and the role of the school volunteer. She served on the State Accreditation Visiting Committee for Salem College and on the Southern Association Accreditation Visiting Committee for Asheboro City and Guilford County Schools.
Professor Shelton was also the recipient of the R.J. Reynolds Scholarship for post-graduate study and received the Outstanding Alumna Award from the Forsyth County Chapter of the High Point University Alumni Association. She retired from HPU in 1988 and continued her involvement with the Board of Visitors for several years, serving as vice chair from 1999 to 2004. She received Professor Emeritus status at HPU in 2003. A member of numerous professional associations, Professor Shelton volunteered her time and talents in many ways, including serving as a member of the Piedmont University Center.
Not only as a professor at High Point, but in her entire life, Professor Shelton was guided by her love of family and by her deep faith and trust in the promises of God. She modeled a love of learning, which inspired and influenced her students.
She cared for her students and thought of them as her extended family. One former HPU student stated that Professor Shelton was always telling us what we could accomplish and how blessed she was to have us in her life. In a 2022 letter to a former student, she stated: “I have never regretted choosing to teach. I loved it, still do, and would go that route again. Look at the joy and blessings all of my students have brought me. How much more could anyone want?” In a 2023 letter to the same student, she wrote that she would have chosen to teach even if she had all of the opportunities young people have today. She stated: “I loved working with young people God put in my life. I am blessed in so many ways by knowing so many students.”
Professor Shelton once told one of her students, “The most important thing you can do as a teacher is to instill in your students a love of learning. Your students first and foremost need to know that you like them and that you care about them.” She truly lived this principle and always had a smile on her face. Her care for students continues through notes and letters, as well as by welcoming them with her gracious smile and fond memories.
This care for students has been returned many times over in later life. Numerous times, a contingent of Phi Mu sisters has visited and brought gifts such as a dozen red roses for Mother’s Day or large bouquets for her birthday. One student donated to Clemmons Presbyterian Church in Professor Shelton’s honor. One of her third-grade students from her days teaching gifted students in Forsyth County is also a frequent visitor even today.
She regularly mentions how God and her students keep her alive. Having lost much of her hearing and sight, and surviving many operations and bouts with cancer, she continued to thank the good Lord for what limited ability she had. In May 2023, she wrote: “Each Sunday I pray the intercessory prayer. It is difficult being in charge every Sunday, but God always helps me to say the right words. This Sunday I will focus on Mother’s Day and nine residents who need prayers for serious illnesses.”
Professor Shelton is also a lifelong learner. She is passionate about learning new things. Even when she is sitting in the atrium or outside at Creekside Terrace, she always has her tote with a notebook and pen at the ready to write down things she wants to remember.
In 2021, a classroom inside the Stout School of Education was dedicated to honor Professor Emeritus Shelton. The Shelton Innovation Lab features multiple stations for STEM lessons and activities. HPU staff and friends of Shelton gathered in person for a private dedication ceremony, while Shelton and others participated virtually due to the pandemic.
During the dedication, Dr. MJ Hall, a former student of Shelton and a member of HPU’s Class of 1969, served as the spokesperson. She stated: “We were extremely excited to surprise Mrs. Shelton with this well-deserved honor because we have always known how important HPU and her students are to her. Mrs. Shelton was an inspiration to all of her students. She provided a mastery model for learning, and she supported us in our professional extracurricular activities. However, her most important contribution was demonstrating then—and through the years—how much she cared about each and every one of us. We have all been blessed to have her in our lives!”
Chris Dudley, vice president of advancement, who coordinated the dedication program, emphasized how Shelton had embodied the HPU promise of providing every student with an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people throughout her entire career and life. This legacy will inspire and impact HPU students for generations to come.
Nancy Adeline Watson Shelton was born on July 3, 1926, the daughter of Fount and Ola Mae Watson. She is a native of Old Hickory, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville and the home of President Andrew Jackson. The village was designed by E. I. du Pont to house the factory workers of DuPont. Like most of the residents of the village, her father worked at the DuPont plant. She was the youngest of four, and her siblings were Fount Jr., James, and Pauline. During her senior year at DuPont High School, she was selected as Homecoming Queen.
Nancy loved school. She credits her second-grade teacher for inspiring her to go into education. She was very active in school activities, especially sports—swimming, basketball, and cheerleading.
While attending Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, she met the love of her life, John M. Shelton (Chick). On August 24, 1948, they were married at the First Presbyterian Church in that college town. She and her bridesmaids wore pink, as the white and ivory fabrics were needed by the War Department effort for military parachutes.
Chick and Nancy, both teachers, loved children. When it became apparent that they would not be able to have children of their own, Chick told Nancy that it would be okay because their students would be their children. They followed through with this both in and out of the classroom, making themselves available whenever a student needed them. They loved and respected their students, always inspiring and encouraging them.
Each year, the Shelton’s hosted a Christmas party for her HPU colleagues, both faculty and staff. During her time at HPU, they were also loyal basketball fans and attended every game when their health allowed. Nancy also honored the High Point College students she mentored with a luncheon at her home at the end of each semester. One student shared how Shelton came to see her while she was in isolation in the HPU infirmary and no one else was allowed to visit. Shelton stayed in touch with many students long after graduation. The same student mentioned how honored she was when Shelton attended her eldest son’s wedding in 1994, twenty-five years after she had graduated. She further stated, “…this year I had to have major surgery and she called my husband the day of the operation to check on me. I feel that after 56 years she is still looking out for me!”
Nancy and Chick had 66 wonderful years together. He passed away on November 29, 2015. The caring person that he was, Chick left his body to science, and Nancy intends to do the same.
Through various trials and tribulations, Nancy always says, “God has been good to me. I’ve had a good life and wouldn’t change a thing. I am thankful for all of my students. They are precious to me. They loved to learn. And they cared for others. What more can a teacher ask for as a reward for our service? I believe we are placed where God thinks we need to be so that we can help each other along the way. As long as I can live, I will live with joy in my heart.”
Nancy’s motto for living life can be summed up by Romans 12:12: Be joyful in hope; patient in affliction; faithful in prayer.
Impact with a Ripple Effect: Teachers Teaching Teachers
An old saying captures the positive effect teachers have: “You never know where your influence stops.” For those who teach teachers, like university professors, the influence is even greater. And for a few who have been institutionalized, with a place named for them where students learn to teach, like the Shelton Innovation Lab at the Stout School of Education at High Point University, their impact extends into posterity.
On Friday, July 3, former students and faculty from the university, members of her church, Clemmons Presbyterian, and friends whose lives she has touched in many ways gathered at Bermuda Commons to celebrate Professor Emeritus Nancy W. Shelton’s 100th birthday. As the Education dean wrote: “We celebrate you and the countless lives you’ve shaped through your passion for teaching and learning. Your century of life stands as a remarkable testament to impact and dedication. Through the STEM Lab bearing your name, your legacy continues to inspire generations of educators and students.” As her congressman, Pat Harrigan, wrote, “It is a privilege to have had someone of your talent and heart dedicating your life and heart to the young people of this state.”
While the formal notes and statements about the ripple effect of her professional service were widely praised, the emotional, personal testimonials truly expanded the impact. One former student shared this on FaceTime: “Words cannot express how much your friendship has meant to me all these 60 years. You exemplified the kind of educator I aspired to be. Your professionalism and level of education are commendable. But I admire your gracious, thoughtful, and caring nature most. Your Christian faith radiates from you daily. You are one of a kind, Mrs. Shelton. I treasure the sweet, beautiful memories of our time together and the many years of fun and lengthy phone chats.”
This caring and love for her, rooted in the love she has given others, has been evident over the years in many ways. From the Phi Mu sorority members dropping by with sweets and pink roses, to helping her when her husband, John, also known as Chick, needed additional care, to supporting her through life changes, her students have translated the caring and love they received from her into caring and love for her. In 2021, the students honored Professor Shelton through a gift to HPU that resulted in the lab.
The 100th began when a former student wheeled Professor Shelton into the room, wearing a crown and sash. Her pastor offered blessings of thanksgiving, opening the formal part of the celebration. Nancy relished being the “queen for a day,” giving attendees Queen Elizabeth waves, blowing kisses, hugging, and assuring us of her love.
She shared stories about how her work was also her passion. When she was a relatively new teacher in Forsyth County, a little boy stopped her in the hallway and said, “Mrs. Shelton, I love you.” Professor Shelton then said, “This touched my heart. There is nothing more precious than a student telling you they love you. It was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me, except that every single one of you means the world to me. Thank you for adding so much to my life. I love you all.”
Nancy Watson Shelton’s connection to High Point University began in 1955, when she transferred credits from Middle Tennessee State College and completed her teaching degree. She later pursued a master’s degree in language arts at UNC–Chapel Hill and continued her studies through additional coursework at George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and at Belmont College, both on fellowships.
After several years of teaching gifted students in public schools, Shelton returned to High Point College in 1966 to join the Department of Education. Over the next 22 years, she became a beloved and respected presence on campus. She was named an Alumni Chair of Learning and, in 1977, received the John C. and Kathleen Y. Foy Distinguished Teaching-Service Award, an honor comparable to the Meredith Clark Slane Distinguished Teaching-Service Award presented each year at Commencement. At the time, HPC President Patton described her as “truly a dedicated and professional teacher in the finest sense of the word,” praising her deep interest in students and her ability to inspire high-quality performance.
Shelton’s contributions were recognized in many ways throughout her career. She received the R.J. Reynolds Scholarship for graduate study and the Outstanding Alumna Award from the Forsyth County Chapter of the High Point University Alumni Association. After retiring from HPU in 1988, she remained active with the Board of Visitors for several more years, serving as vice chair from 1999 to 2004. In 2003, she was named Professor Emeritus. A lifelong advocate for education and service, she also devoted her time to numerous professional organizations, including the Piedmont University Center.
What stands out most in Shelton’s story, however, is not only what she accomplished professionally but also the way she lived. Guided by her love of family and her deep faith, she approached teaching as a calling rather than a career. Her belief in learning was contagious, and many of her students came to see her as more than a professor. They saw her as family.
Born on July 3, 1926, Nancy Adeline Watson Shelton grew up in Old Hickory, Tennessee, as the youngest of four children. She attended DuPont High School, where she was named Homecoming Queen, and later enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. There she met John M. Shelton, affectionately known as Chick, and the two married in 1948 at the First Presbyterian Church in that college town.
Teaching became the center of their shared life. When it became clear they would not have children of their own, Chick told Nancy their students would be their children. In many ways, that is exactly how they lived. Together, they welcomed students into their home, hosted annual Christmas gatherings for HPU colleagues, and remained loyal supporters of campus life. Nancy also honored the students she mentored with end-of-semester luncheons at her home and stayed in touch with many of them long after graduation.
Their marriage lasted 66 years. Chick died in 2015. Through trials and tribulations, Professor Shelton has remained grounded in gratitude. As she repeatedly stated during the celebration, “Thank you, thank you for loving me.” Her favorite verse from Romans beautifully captures her outlook and gratitude: “Be joyful in hope; patient in affliction; faithful in prayer.”
Add Comment