PERSON: Tom Nichols

The Atlantic

Staff Writer

Thomas Michael Nichols (born December 7, 1960) is an American writer, academic specialist on international affairs, and retired professor at the U.S. Naval War College. His work deals with issues involving Russia, nuclear weapons, and national security affairs.

Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Nichols grew up in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he attended public schools in the 1960s and 1970s. His paternal grandparents were Greek immigrants, and his mother is of Irish descent. He stated in a speech at The Heritage Foundation that he did not come from an educated family, noting that his parents were “both Depression era kids who dropped out of high school”.

Nichols was awarded a BA degree in political science from Boston University in 1983, an MA degree in political science from Columbia University in 1984, a certificate from the Harriman Institute of Columbia University in 1985, and a PhD in government from Georgetown University in 1988. His doctoral thesis was The politics of doctrine: Khrushchev, Gorbachev and the Soviet military.

Nichols is a five-time Jeopardy! Champion, winning during regular season play in 1994. Nichols initially lost his fifth game, but was invited back due to a “clue discrepancy.” He later participated in the 1994 Tournament of Champions and the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions, losing in the quarterfinals and the first round, respectively. In a 2022 interview with Newsweek, Nichols advocated for the reinstatement of the five-day limit, eliminated in 2003.

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