Franklin Nelson

Franklin Nelson was an American ice dancer and figure skating judge. Nelson had a brief career competing on the ice, which saw him win bronze with Sidney Arnold in the pairs at the 1956 US Championships. That same year the duo finished seventh in the same event at the World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. He then retired as a competitor after joining the US Navy, where he served for two years. Nelson then graduated from Harvard Medical School and became a general surgeon.

Despite his early retirement from ice dancing, Nelson remained involved in the sport, becoming an international referee. In 1984 he was one of the judges in the mixed pairs event at the Sarajevo Olympics. From 1989 to 1992 he also served as the President of the United States Figure Skating Association. During this time Nelson re-enlisted in the Navy, serving as a surgeon at the beginning of the Gulf War.