Tom Nichols' biography: age, wife, daughter, career, books
Thomas Nichols is a retired professor at the United States Naval War College and the Harvard Extension School, specialising in international affairs. He is also a writer and academic specialist on international affairs. Tom Nichols' biography explores his life, telling of his research that mostly focused on Russia, nuclear weapons, and national security.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Tom Nichols attended public American schools in the 1960s and 1970s.
- His parents were high school dropouts.
- Tom Nichols' doctoral thesis title was The Politics of Doctrine: Khrushchev, Gorbachev and the Soviet Military.
Profile summary
| Full name | Thomas Michael Nichols |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 7 December 1960 |
| Age | 64 years (as of July 2025) |
| Place of birth | Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States of America |
| Current residence | Middletown, Rhode Island, United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White (Greek-Irish) |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Hair colour | Brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Lynn Nichols |
| Children | 1 |
| Father | Nick James Nichols |
| Alma mater | Boston University, Columbia University, and Georgetown University |
| Profession | Author and academic |
| X | @RadioFreeTom |
Tom Nichols' biography
Tom Nichols is a respected author and academic. He is best known as a former professor at the US Naval War College. His work life focused on nuclear weapons and national security issues.
Tom Nichols' age
He was born on 7 December 1960, making him 64 years old as of July 2025. His Zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
Source: Original
What is Tom Nichols' religion?
Tom Nichols is a Greek Orthodox Christian. He was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts and grew up in Chicopee, Massachusetts.
His paternal grandparents were Greek immigrants. Tom Nichols' mother is of Irish descent. This means that the author's ethnicity is Greek-Irish.
Tom Nichols' educational history
After Tom completed his high school education, he attended Boston University and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Political science. He later pursued his Master's degree in Political Science from Columbia University.
Tom graduated from Georgetown University with a PhD in Government. He also holds a certificate from Columbia's Harriman Institute for Advanced Study of the Soviet Union.
Source: Getty Images
Career
Tom taught international relations and also Soviet and Russian Affairs at Dartmouth College and Georgetown University. He was also a former Secretary of the Navy fellow, as well as a fellow in the Harvard Kennedy School's International Security programme and the project on managing the Atom.
Tom served as the chairman of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, where he held the Forrest Sherman chair of public diplomacy. In 1988, he served as personal staff for Defence and Security Affairs Senator John Heinz.
Tom Nichols competed in Jeopardy!, an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show features a quiz competition in which contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers.
Nichols was first cast on the television show in 1994. His total winnings were $57,000. In 2016, Tom and former United States Secretary of Defense William Perry were named the first professors in the United States Air Force School of Strategic Force Studies.
Nichols is a retired professor at the US Naval War College's Department of National Security Affairs and a retired associate professor at the Harvard Extension School. He is also a senior associate of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York City.
Here are some of the books that Tom Nichols has published:
- 2020: Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy
- 2017: The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters
- 2013: No Use: Nuclear Weapons and US National Security
- 2012: Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO
- 2008: Eve of Destruction: The Coming Age of Preventive War
- 2002: Winning the World: Lessons for America's Future from the Cold War
- 1999: The Russian Presidency: Society and Politics in the Second Russian Republic
- 1993: The Sacred Cause: Civil-Military Conflict over Soviet National Security
Tom once talked about The Death of Expertise (an extended book that talks about American democracy) in an interview. He said:
It’s even worse than that. It’s not just hobbling the ability of citizens to make informed decisions, it’s breaking down the bonds of trust that democracies rest on. None of us are willing to listen to anybody else about anything. And that’s not just an attack on knowledge, that’s basically an attack on the division of labour, in a way.
Source: Getty Images
How did Tom Nichols become a paraplegic?
There is no evidence to suggest that Tom Nichols has ever been a paraplegic. The Death of Expertise author is known for his work on public discourse and expertise. He has no known association with paraplegia.
Who is Tom Nichols' wife, Lynn?
Tom does not speak publicly about his spouse or family. Even so, it is known that he is married to a lady known as Lynn Nichols. The two got married in 2014.
Who was Tom Nichols' first wife?
Tom Nichols' first wife remains unknown. The couple reportedly welcomed one child together, called Shoshana Weissmann.
According to her R Street profile, Tom Nichols' daughter oversees R Street's social media, email marketing, website, and other digital assets. Before joining R Street, Shoshana managed digital communications for Opportunity Lives.
What happened to Tom Nichols' eye?
After an accident on 19 July 1966 while drilling holes for poles for a telephone firm called Project Mutual Telephone Company, one of his eyes went blind. He was able to regain his sight three years later.
Source: Getty Images
Tom Nichols and Cat Carla
Tom has had cats since he was a boy. All of them were wonderful, but one of them, named Carla, left a mark on his life. There was a time when he was in bad shape following a divorce and was almost sinking into alcoholism.
One day, he met a cat at a local veterinary hospital. He would stare at a particular cat for days on end until a neighbour asked him to get the cat. After some time, decided to take the cat home.
He named the cat Carla, who got him out of a depressive period. When Lynn came into his life, Carla welcomed her. Carla became Lynn’s friend. The cat once saved Tom and Lynn from a fire in the ceiling. Cat Carla passed away in 2024.
Trivia
- Tom Nichols registered with the Republican Party in 1979.
- The American author plays video games in his spare time.
- In 2012, Tom won the Petra T. Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award from Harvard Extension School.
- He does not support Donald Trump's administration.
- He would rather have cats than dogs.
Tom Nichols' biography shows his extensive knowledge of international affairs, which makes him a resourceful individual in his home country. He is one of the greatest academic specialists with an impressive track record.
Yen.com.gh recently published Zahn McClarnon's biography. Zahn McClarnon leads Native American representation on TV with standout roles in Dark Winds, Longmire, and Westworld, redefining Indigenous storytelling.
His performances add depth to Indigenous characters, reshaping how their stories are told and driving a shift toward more authentic portrayals. Born to a Hunkpapa Lakota mother and Irish father, McClarnon spent his childhood between Colorado and Montana.
Source: YEN.com.gh
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