NCFR Past President William C. Nichols, Jr., Ph.D., died on June 19, 2021, at age 92. Dr. Nichols was NCFR's 34th president from 1976-78 and from 1970-75 served as the second editor of NCFR's journal, The Family Coordinator, which was renamed Family Relations in 1980.

Dr. Nichols was a leader in the fields of marriage and family therapy (MFT) and clinical psychology, and worked to establish standards for practice in organizations that represent MFT. In addition to his roles at NCFR, he was the founding editor of Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, president of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and served twice as president for the International Family Therapy Association. He was a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Division 43 (Family Psychology), the Association for Psychological Science, AAMFT, and the American Orthopsychiatric Association, and Diplomate in Clinical Psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychologists. He received numerous awards for his contributions to marital and family therapy, family psychology, and mental health organizations.

Dr. Nichols earned his bachelor's from the University of Alabama, and a doctorate in education from Columbia University, New York. He served as a professor at numerous institutions including the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Samford University, the Merrill-Palmer Institute, Florida State University, and the University of Georgia. Dr. Nichols authored four books by himself, published books as a co-author and editor, and was an author or co-author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles.

You can read his full obituary here.

A eulogy for Dr. Nichols will be given at the 2021 NCFR Annual Conference as part of the memorial service held at each annual conference.

During this service, the names of any NCFR members who have recently died are read aloud. Members who have served as an NCFR board member, journal editor, or are conferred NCFR Fellow status are given a eulogy.

If you learn of an NCFR member who has passed away, please email Trip Sullivan

.