Susan (Fraser) Nichols  
Susan Ingebjorg (Fraser) Nichols
Married to Walter Nichols, an artist and college teacher, for 45 years.
Two daughters: Claudia Nealley, 43 years old, lives in Frederick MD. Amanda Coffey, 38 years old, lives in Camp Hill, PA. Four grandchildren.
WORK: First job after college: public school art teacher, Alexandria, VA; Last job (27 years) Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and parttime Associate Professor of Art teaching drawing at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA. After retiring in 2004, I continued to teach the drawing course for another year. Yes, retired! Finally and completely in May, 2005. The College has kindly continued to provide me with a studio. I paint and draw.
Significant Events: No brilliant insight on significant events, but none-the-less true: Having children has been of enormous importance. They and their children lift my heart.
Lucky breaks have certainly included getting the jobs I have held, knowing the people I have worked with, and friends. After living in Alabama 1963-64 (Gogol, Faulkner & Heller were voices of sanity to me in those days.), we moved to the Washington, D.C. area. We watched Lyndon Johnson's Inaugural parade in January, 1965, but had moved on to Pennsylvania by the time of Watergate. The long residence in Pennsylvania, and working (both of us) in academia, has given us opportunities to live a relatively stable life,?meet interesting people and travel to some interesting places. Being married to an artist has been a richness of uneven character.
Deep thoughts & philosophies: Nothing very original. We are all survivors, but only for a more or less short while. Nature and history provide a wealth of entertainment. The "Humanities" still have the best books; eventually the best writing in any field becomes part of Humanities. Current reading: John McPhee (research journalism), Mary Oliver (poetry). I think that suffering and poverty do very little for creativity; throwing money at the problems of poverty, environmental waste and ignorance?can be a good idea.
CHANGES: How have I changed? I have recognized that what little wisdom comes to me, comes really slowly! One bit of wisdom that has arrived in time to be useful: It is better to be amused than annoyed. I have lost track of many idividuals?about whom I would dearly like to know something. I don't miss a lot about the 50's, but the opportunity to know each of our class mates better would be worth a lot. So, I wish you the greatest possible success in compiling the yearbook. With great fondness to all!