William Flynt Nichols

William Flynt Nichols
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 1963-1967
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
In office 1959-1963
Personal details
Born	October 16, 1918 Monroe County, Mississippi
Died	December 13, 1988 (aged 70) Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Auburn University

William Flynt "Bill" 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.

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.^[1]

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 1959 and the Alabama Senate in 1963.

Congressional service

A strong supporter of Alabama's George Wallace, Nichols unseated freshman Republican U.S. Representative Arthur Glenn Andrews in the 1966 general election, while Wallace's wife, Lurleen Burns Wallace was handily winning the governorship.

Nichols defeated Andrews again in 1970. He was elected to eleven terms.

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. Glenn Andrews initially won the Alabama House seat that Nichols held for nearly a generation while Andrews was running on the 1964 Goldwater-Miller presidential ticket.

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

References

1. "Rep. Bill Nichols, 70; Led Pentagon Inquiry". New York Times. December 14, 1988.

External links

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