Sam Nichols
Sam Nichols
Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy
Lieutenant Commander Sam Nichols was born on August 7th, 1953, in the newly built Lee County Hospital, now known as East Alabama Medical Center. He grew up on Cary Drive in Auburn and was a graduate of Auburn City Schools.
Nichols’ father was a long-time organic chemistry professor at Auburn University. While his mother had a law degree from the University of Alabama, she chose to devote herself to raising Nichols and his sister Clare rather than pursuing a career as a lawyer.
As a senior in high school, Nichols applied to the U.S. Naval Academy with a promised nomination from Congressman George Andrews. But when Andrews unexpectedly passed away, the nomination fell through.
Nichols pivoted, spending his freshman year at Auburn University, where he played on the tennis team and was a member of the AU Naval ROTC unit. A year later, with a nomination from Senator James Allen, Nichols was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy.
He arrived in Annapolis in July 1972, joining the Class of ’76. By his senior year, he was selected for the Navy’s elite nuclear power program. Nichols graduated in June 1976, and before beginning nuclear power training, he was assigned temporary duty as a sailing instructor for the new plebes at the Naval Academy, including the first class of women admitted to the service academies.
Over the next 18 years, his naval career would span the globe and the depths of the ocean.
From the USS Swordfish in Pearl Harbor to the USS William H. Bates in San Diego, Nichols served as Division Officer, Command Center Watch Officer, Navigator and Operations Officer, and Executive Officer.
As a Command Center Watch Officer at the headquarters of Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Nichols was responsible for screening submarine messages and intel, tracking U.S. and foreign submarine movement, and preparing and delivering briefings for the admiral and staff.
From ’87 to ’89, Nichols served as the Officer-in-Charge of the Unmanned Vehicles Detachment at Submarine Development Group ONE in Coronado, California. He led a 50-man unit in deep ocean searches and surveys and lead pioneering underwater missions. In 1988, he joined Dr. Robert Ballard’s expedition along with a National Geographic production crew to find the German battleship Bismarck, applying the same techniques and employing the same equipment used three years earlier to discover the Titanic.
From ’89 to ’91, Nichols served as Executive Officer of the USS Billfish in Charleston, South Carolina. He finished his Navy career in San Diego as Deputy Commander for Training and Readiness at Submarine Development Group ONE, overseeing rescue and research vehicle operations and working as the principal Navy liaison with the scientific community through NOAA.
In 1984, Nichols married Dr. Katherine Kern in Pearl Harbor. A pediatrician, Dr. Nichols would go on to serve Auburn-Opelika families for 30 years. Together, they raised three children—Katy, Sammy, and Mary Clare.
After retiring from the Navy in 1994, the family returned home to Auburn. Nichols earned his MBA from Auburn University in 1997. He went on to cofound a startup, Envirotrace, LLC, with his lifelong friend, Dr. Jimmy Saunders. The two licensed patents in the field of environmental bioremediation.
Nichols continued his service in new ways—as a Scout leader, coach, PTA treasurer, and chairman of the City of Auburn Veterans Committee for 15 years. Under his leadership, the committee launched scholarship programs for veterans and video tributes honoring local veterans.
Since 2014, Nichols has also served as a Blue and Gold Officer for the Naval Academy, mentoring and interviewing future midshipmen across east Alabama.
Lieutenant Commander Sam Nichols earned multiple commendations and wore his Submarine Warfare and Deep Submergence pins with pride. His life has been one of honor, curiosity and lasting service.