First Coach Nichols Endowed Scholarship recipient announced

The Nichols family announces the first recipient of the Coach Lester Nichols Endowed Scholarship at Troy University for $1,000 for the 2021-2022 school year.

This scholarship is awarded to Troy University students who maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 and are from Dale County High School or Daleville High school, with preference given to those who graduate from Daleville High School.

The Troy University Foundation selected and recently made the inaugural scholarship award to Matthew Nichols, 2021 graduate of Daleville High School. Nichols plans to study information technology with an emphasis on cybersecurity.

Nichols was selected from the pool of applicants Troy University Foundation received from graduating seniors at Dale County schools. Additionally, Nichols is the grandson of Coach Lester Nichols.

“I am excited to be an incoming freshman at Troy University where many of my family members have completed degrees and where my father works,” said Nichols. “I was surprised to be selected as the recipient of the scholarship endowed by not only family members but also former students of my Papa. And, I am truly humbled to be the scholarship’s first recipient.”

“We are thrilled that Matthew was selected as the first recipient of this scholarship,” said Tim Brown, former student and son-in-law of Coach Nichols. “But we have to say, the Foundation had no way of knowing that Matthew was related to the scholarship namesake. Coach would be pleased to know that Matthew earned the scholarship on his own merits and will be the first recipient of the scholarship.”

The Lester Nichols Endowed Scholarship was established by the Nichols family in March 2016, shortly after Coach Nichols was diagnosed with a terminal medical condition at age 67. Coach Nichols was moved to tears to learn that a scholarship funded by former students and family members would be endowed in his memory and would help students from schools where he taught and coached to attend his alma mater. Nichols taught thousands of students history and art history, coached football, track, basketball and other sports, and sponsored proms and plays throughout his career at Dale County High School from 1974-1979 and at Daleville High School from 1979-2007. Coach Nichols earned both his bachelor’s degree in Social Science/History Education (1974) and master’s degree in History Education (1990) from Troy University.

“We would like to sincerely thank the donors who’ve contributed to fund this scholarship over the last five years,” said Charlotte Nichols-Brown, daughter of Coach Nichols. “Without everyone’s contributions, we would not have been successful in meeting the endowment deadline, and although the scholarship is now endowed, we continue to encourage contributions to the fund to increase future scholarship awards.”

Monies from the endowment fund are used to fund scholarships according to the Spending Policy of the Foundation. Scholarships are awarded for the academic year beginning in the fall and will be for one year only, though the recipient may reapply for the following year. One-half of the scholarship is issued each semester.

To make a contribution to the Lester Nichols Endowed Scholarship, select “Lester Nichols” at the following link: https://donate.troy.edu/troy_annual_giving.