8-K

                              UNITED STATES
                   SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

	                   Washington, D.C.  20549



	                           FORM 8-K

	                       CURRENT REPORT
	            PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
	               SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


             Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                     August 22, 2003 (August 22, 2003)



	                       Thomas Nelson, Inc.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	        (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


      Tennessee                  1-13788                    62-0679364
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (State or other        (Commission File Number)        (I.R.S. Employer
  Jurisdiction of                                        Identification No.)
  Incorporation)


               501 Nelson Place
               Nashville, Tennessee                  37214-1000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Address of Principal                  (Zip Code)
                Executive Offices)




Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  615/889-9000




                             TABLE OF CONTENTS
                             -----------------

SIGNATURES
- ----------
EXHIBIT INDEX
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EX-99 PRESS RELEASE August 22, 2003
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Item 9.   Regulation FD Disclosure.

          Exhibit Number
          --------------

               99          Press Release, August 22, 2003




TABLE OF CONTENTS
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	                          SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                        THOMAS NELSON, INC.


                                 By:       /s/ Joe L. Powers
                                     -----------------------------
	                             Name:   Joe L. Powers
	                             Title:  Executive Vice President
                                           and Secretary


Date:  August 22, 2003



                              EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number
- -------

   99     News Release, August 22, 2003.

EX-99

                                EXHIBIT 99



NEWS RELEASE

DATE:     AUGUST 22, 2003
CONTACT:  JOE L. POWERS
          EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
          P.O. BOX 141000, NASHVILLE, TN  37214-1000
          WEBSITE:  www.thomasnelson.com
PHONE:    (615) 902-1300
FAX:      (615) 883-6353


                THOMAS NELSON ANNOUNCES CASH DIVIDEND AND
                       ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS

NASHVILLE, TN, August 22, 2003.  Thomas Nelson, Inc. (NYSE:  TNM) announced
that at its regular meeting yesterday, the Company's Board of Directors
declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.04 (four cents) per share for
Common and Class B shares outstanding.  The dividend is payable October 20,
2003 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 6, 2003.
This represents an indicated annual cash dividend of $0.16 (sixteen cents)
per share.

Also, Thomas Nelson announced that at its annual shareholder meeting, the
shareholders re-elected two members of the Board of Directors.  Re-elected
to serve additional three-year terms on the Board were S. Joseph Moore and
Millard V. Oakley.  The shareholders also elected a new member to the Board
of Directors, Ronald W. Blue, to a one-year term, replacing the retiring
Andrew J. Young.

Mr. Blue graduated from Indiana University with a Masters of Business
Administration degree in 1967 and founded an Indianapolis-based CPA firm
in 1970.  In 1979, he founded Ronald Blue & Co., an Atlanta-based company
that offers estate and investment counsel to individual clients and
organizations.  Mr. Blue currently serves on the Board of Directors of
Campus Crusade for Christ, Crown Financial Ministries, Family Research
Council, and The National Christian Foundation.  He is also on the Board
of Trustees of The Maclellan Foundation and the Sandra and William B.
Johnson Foundation, Inc.

In other matters, the shareholders approved the Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2003
Stock Incentive Plan.

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements.  Actual
results could differ materially from those reflected by the forward-
looking statements and a number of factors may affect future results,
liquidity and capital resources.  These factors include, but are not
limited to, softness in the general retail environment, the timing and
acceptance of products being introduced to the market, the level of
product returns experienced, the level of margins achievable in the
marketplace, the collectibility of accounts receivable, the recoupment of
royalty advances, the effects of acquisitions or dispositions, the
financial condition of our customers and suppliers, the realization of
inventory values at carrying amounts, our access to capital and the
realization of income tax (including the outcome of any future Internal
Revenue Service audits) and intangible assets. Future revenue and margin
trends cannot be reliably predicted and may cause the Company to adjust
its business strategy during the remaining portion of the 2004 fiscal
year.  The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-
looking statements.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading publisher, producer and distributor of
books emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes, and
believes it is the largest publisher of Bibles and inspirational books in
the English language.  For more information, visit our website
www.thomasnelson.com.

Thomas Nelson's stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (TNM-NYSE).


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