Frances A. Karnes

Frances A. Karnes (née Nessler; September 15, 1937 – August 22, 2025) was an American writer and educator. She served on the faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi from 1974 to 2014 and was the founding director of the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies.

Early life and education Karnes was born on September 15, 1937 in Quincy, Illinois to John H. Nessler and Carlene F. Nessler. She graduated from Quincy Notre Dame High School. She attended Quincy College and earned a doctorate in education from the University of Illinois in 1973. In 1974, Karnes worked with members of the Mississippi Legislature to have a law amended to provide a legal basis for funding gifted education programs in Mississippi. In 1979, she founded the university's Center for Gifted Studies and served as its director.

Karnes died on August 22, 2025.