Tom Nichols (academic)

Thomas M. Nichols grew up in Chicopee, Massachusetts[4]. He has stated in a speech at The Heritage Foundation that he did not come from an educated family, and his parents were "both Depression era kids who dropped out of college."[5] Nichols is an undefeated five-time Jeopardy! champion[6] and was, at one time, one of the game's all-time top players.[7]

Nichols has a bachelor's degree from Boston University; a master's from Columbia University;[8] and a doctorate from Georgetown University.[6][8] He also holds a certificate from the Harriman Institute of Columbia University.[8]

Nichols taught international relations as well as Soviet and Russian Affairs at Dartmouth College and Georgetown University.[5][8] He was also a fellow in the International Security Program at the Harvard Kennedy School.[5] Nichols was the Chairman of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College where he also held the Forrest Sherman Chair of Public Diplomacy.[5][8] Nichols is a former Secretary of the Navy Fellow[5] and also a fellow in the International Security Program and the Project on Managing the Atom at the Harvard Kennedy School.[8]

He taught as an Associate Professor at Dartmouth College in 1996 where he taught comparative politics and Russian affairs in the Department of Government.[9] He began teaching on at the Harvard Extension School in 2005 and has taught courses on nuclear weapons, the Cold War, and national security issues.[9]

In 2011, Nichols was named a Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[9] During this time he began working on a book on nuclear strategy, which was later published in 2014 as No Use: Nuclear Weapons and US National Security.[9] The book is an analysis of American nuclear weapons policies possible reforms to the United States nuclear strategy.[8]

Nichols was awarded the Petra T. Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award from the Harvard Extension School in 2012.[8]

In 2016, along with former United States Secretary of Defense William Perry, Nichols was one of nine named as the first professors in the USAF School of Strategic Force Studies.[9] He specialized in nuclear deterrence issues.[9]

As of 2019, Nichols is a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College,[8][9] while also teaching courses as an adjunct professor at the Harvard Extension School.[5][6][8] He is additionally a Senior Associate of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York City.[5]

In 1988, Nichols served in the United States Senate as Personal Staff for Defense and Security Affairs for Senator John Heinz.[5][8][9]

• Petra T. Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award from Harvard Extension School (2012)[8]
• Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.[8]

Nichols describes himself as a Never Trump conservative,[10] and has been described as one of "the most eloquent conservative voices against President Trump."[11] During the 2016 presidential campaign, Nichols argued that conservatives should vote for Hillary Clinton, whom he detested, because Trump was "too mentally unstable" to serve as commander-in-chief.[11] Nichols continued this argument for the 2018 midterm elections.[12]

After the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States, Nichols announced on October 7, 2018, that he would leave the Republican Party and become an independent, claiming that Senator Susan Collins' yes-vote on the confirmation convinced him that the Republican Party only exists for the exercise of raw political power.[13] He also criticized the Democratic Party for being "torn between totalitarian instincts on one side and complete political malpractice on the other" and said that the party's behavior during the Kavanaugh hearings, with the exception of Senators Chris Coons, Sheldon Whitehouse and Amy Klobuchar was execrable, but the Republicans have become a threat to the rule of law and constitutional norms.[13]

In an opinion column, Nichols cited the Mueller Report to argue that Donald Trump failed in his role as a citizen and as Commander in Chief by not doing more to prevent and punish the Russians for interfering in the 2016 presidential election.[14]

• List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016

• Tom Nichols on IMDb