LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville’s Alumni Association today announced that J.D. Nichols has been named Alumnus of the Year and the late Jim King will receive the Wilson Wyatt Award.
The association bestows the two awards on prominent graduates who have earned distinction in their careers and have been exemplary ambassadors for the university.
Nichols is a Louisville native, chairman of the real estate firm NTS Corp. and a 1964 graduate of the university’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. He has served on UofL’s Board of Overseers and UofL Foundation board. He began his career in real estate in 1965 and, since then, has overseen the development of over 10,000 acres of land for uses that include residential, commercial and industrial.
“We wanted to honor J.D. Nichols because he’s an alumnus who has leveraged his college experience to be successful in his career and his community,” said Deborah Dietzler, executive director of the Alumni Association. “He has definitely given back in many different ways.”
Nichols is active in many civic and charitable organizations. In 2014 the UofL Foundation’s downtown office park was renamed the J.D. Nichols Campus for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in his honor.
The Alumni Association will also honor King, who died earlier this year, with the Wilson Wyatt Award. He was a 1973 College of Business graduate and was well-known in the area as a community leader, Louisville Metro Council president and the owner and founder of the CPA firm King and Co.
Nichols and King will be recognized during an Oct. 22 event at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. King’s wife, Debbie, and their children Jimmy and Kathryn King will accept the award on his behalf.
For tickets to the event or for more information, contact Elise Buck at 502-852-6186 or elise.buck@louisville.edu.