I worked for Dr. Nixon for several years at Austin Peay. I learned a great deal from him...about being an administrator who is compassionate, willing to listen, and ethical. He used to play jokes on his brother-in-law and would have me make up some wild story to tell him whenever he called. Dr. Nixon told me about his activism during the Civil Rights Movement, and showed me some of the hate mail he received when he decided to open his all-White church to Black membership. He never stopped being an activist. We spoke many times about Amnesty International. He supported me as I studied at Austin Peay while working fulltime. He has written the occasional email and Facebook message to me over time; and I will be very sad this Christmas when I don't receive his Christmas letter. He was very special to me; he even picked me up for work in his Ford Mustang during a snowstorm because I didn't want to drive in. I will always remember him fondly, and I am glad to have known him.

I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Dr. James Nixon.  I know he will be greatly missed.  I knew Dr. Nixon through Dr. Evelyn Nixon when I worked for her at Continuing Education at Austin Peay.  When I moved to the Department of Music, I was in closer contact with him. The two of them were just perfect for each other.  They amazed me with all the stories of their travels -- I even learned a lot about birds working for her.  I still miss her and it has been 23 years since we worked together.  For now, they are both at peace and someday will be together again.

Norma Jean Smith, APSU

I met Jim Nixon when I was a student in his Sociology class in 1972. He had lived a tremendous life till then. He told me about marching with Dr. Martin Luther King in Alabama and his transfer from Grosse Point, Michigan because he allowed Blacks to be members of his church. I was just out of the Air Force and was quite a radical with long hair, a beard, and  bell bottoms. We became good friends and after getting my MSW from UK, I was working for Western State Hospital. He called me and asked if I might be interested in starting a Social Work Program at APSU. He was the Dean by then and I interviewed with Ellen Weed, the new chair. She hired me and I headed the social work program, became Chair when we became a department and had so many wonderful students during my 32 years there, including my wife Sharon. Jim was so supportive of the program until he retired. He greatly helped me with Special Olympics, supported me when I sued the university for not recognizing the first LGBT student organization in Tennessee which we won, and continued to offer whatever support we needed to become accredited, which we were in 1988. He remained my friend, my mentor, my substitute father, and my best friend. We often met for Mexican food and margaritas after her retired. He touched so many lives, that I always felt that I never did enough. He and Evelyn lived a great retirement, always traveling and working to help people. He was a far better social worker than I have ever been. Sharon and I have tried to model our retirement on Jim and Evelyn's. We are off to a good start as we have lived at Seabrook Island, SC for over 2 years and travel whenever we want. I don't know that I will make it to 90 like Jim did, but he will always be in my heart and continue to be my role model. Jim wrote his obituary when Evelyn died and updated it when there were new family members. Only he could have done that. I loved him and will miss him very much.

While attending APSU, I worked for Dr. Nixon. He was a caring, brilliant, funny, dear man. Dr. Nixon will be long remembered by all those many students whose lives he touched.

OBITUARY

James Nixon

November 21, 1922 – October 5, 2012

Rhoton Funeral Home

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