Bill Nichols (politician)

William Flynt Nichols
Official portrait, 1986
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1973 – December 13, 1988
Preceded by	Elizabeth B. Andrews
Succeeded by	Glen Browder
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 4th district
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	Glenn Andrews
Succeeded by	Tom Bevill
Member of the Alabama State Senate
In office November 7, 1962 – November 9, 1966
Constituency	8th district
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
In office November 5, 1958 – November 7, 1962
Personal details
Born	October 16, 1918 Monroe County, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	December 13, 1988(1988-12-13) (aged 70) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Maude Carolyn Funderburk
Children	3
Alma mater	Auburn University

William Flynt Nichols (October 16, 1918 – December 13, 1988) was a Democratic member of United States House of Representatives from Alabama, having served from 1967 until his death from a heart attack in Washington, D.C. in 1988.

Life

Nichols was born on October 16, 1918. On January 30, 1942, Nichols married Maude Carolyn Funderburk. He was a Methodist, having served on the Board of Stewards of Sylacauga's First Methodist Church.

Nichols died of a heart attack on December 13, 1988.

Education

Nichols received a bachelor's degree in Agriculture in 1939 from the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) and a master's degree in Agronomy from the same institution in 1941.

Military service

Nichols enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 and served five years in the European Theatre. He was wounded at the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, losing a leg in a land mine explosion. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart, and retired with the rank of Captain in 1947. Following his retirement, he lived in Sylacauga, Alabama, where he is also buried.

Business career

After military service, Nichols was employed by the Parker Fertilizer Company, and would later become president of the associated Parker Gin Company.

Politics

Service in the Alabama Legislature

Prior to his congressional service, he served over an eight-year period in both houses of the Alabama Legislature, having been elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1958 and the Alabama Senate in 1962.

Congressional service

Nichols was elected to congress in 1966 and was reelected each year until his death in 1988.

In 1986, with retiring Republican U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, Nichols co-authored the Goldwater–Nichols Act, the far-reaching reorganization of the United States Department of Defense command structure.

Nichols voted for the Abandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1987. The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventing treasure hunters and salvagers from damaging them. President Ronald Reagan signed it into law on April 28, 1988.

See also

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–1999)

External links

• United States Congress. "Bill Nichols (id: N000095)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Alabama Academy of Honor: William Flynt Nichols
• Bill Nichols at Find a Grave
• Appearances on C-SPAN