<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ead xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9 https://www.loc.gov/ead/ead.xsd"><eadheader countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" langencoding="iso639-2b" repositoryencoding="iso15511"><eadid countrycode="US"/><filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper>Records of Superintendent Edward W. Nichols, 1907-1924<num>RG.02.03-NicholsEW</num></titleproper></titlestmt><publicationstmt><publisher>Virginia Military Institute Archives</publisher><p id="logostmt"><extref xlink:actuate="onLoad" xlink:href="http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/vmi.jpg" xlink:show="embed" xlink:type="simple"/></p><address><addressline>VMI Archives</addressline><addressline>Preston Library</addressline><addressline>Lexington, VA 24450</addressline><addressline>Business Number: 540-464-7516</addressline><addressline>archives@vmi.edu</addressline><addressline>URL: <extptr xlink:href="http://www.vmi.edu/archives" xlink:show="new" xlink:title="http://www.vmi.edu/archives" xlink:type="simple"/></addressline></address></publicationstmt></filedesc><profiledesc><creation>This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on <date>2026-07-09 07:01:18 -0400</date>.</creation><langusage>Description is written in: <language langcode="und" scriptcode="Zyyy">Undetermined, Code for undetermined script script</language>.</langusage></profiledesc></eadheader><archdesc level="subgrp">
  <did>
    <repository>
      <corpname>Virginia Military Institute Archives</corpname>
    </repository>
    <unittitle>Records of Superintendent Edward W. Nichols, 1907-1924</unittitle>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <persname rules="dacs" source="lcsh">Nichols, E. W. (Edward West), 1858-1927</persname>
    </origination>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <corpname rules="dacs">Virginia Military Institute. Office of the Superintendent</corpname>
    </origination>
    <unitid>RG.02.03-NicholsEW</unitid>
    <unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/3/resources/682</unitid>
    <physdesc altrender="whole">
      <extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">18 cubic feet</extent>
    </physdesc>
    <unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1907/1924" type="inclusive">1907-1924</unitdate>
    <physloc id="aspace_d059ff43871e7f1232532396b516787c">Archives stacks, Record Group 02, Superintendent</physloc>
    <langmaterial>
      <language langcode="eng">English</language>
    </langmaterial>
  </did>
  <scopecontent id="aspace_5871c1f7b346ef2dde568130f4c2dd5d">
    <head>Scope and Contents</head>
<p>Official records  of the Edward W. Nichols Administration, 1907-1924.  Includes official correspondence, annual reports, and other material documenting Nichols's years as Superintendent.</p>  </scopecontent>
  <bioghist id="aspace_8f39c74595a12aa8e8126adbfb077890">
    <head>Biographical / Historical</head>
<p>Lieutenant General Edward West Nichols (b. 1858 d. 1927) graduated from VMI in 1878 and was subsequently a Professor of Mathematics at the Institute. He served as Acting Superintendent from July 1, 1907 to June 30, 1908; on July 1, 1908 he was named VMI's third Superintendent, holding that position until September 30, 1924. From 1918-1919 was an officer in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and was the commander of the Student Army Training Corps at VMI. Following his retirement as Superintendent he continued to lecture in Pure and Applied Mathematics. He died on July 1, 1927 as a result of a blasting accident on the VMI Post.</p>  </bioghist>
  <altformavail id="aspace_d9dfe071f3bea7ab29d4a3935bd8aa34">
    <head>Online Access</head>
<p><a href="http://digitalcollections.vmi.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15821coll21/id/1680">Some annual reports from the Nichols administration are available online</a></p>  </altformavail>
  <accessrestrict id="aspace_f3ba8e8d187b98919b4748509cc4f919">
    <head>Conditions Governing Access</head>
<p>There are no restrictions</p>  </accessrestrict>
  <userestrict id="aspace_15e7a198ee4c13a526a178d489470b8d">
    <head>Conditions Governing Use</head>
<p>Collections in the VMI Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research use. The VMI Archives should be cited as the source. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright holders. Materials from our collections may not be redistributed, published or reproduced without permission from the VMI Archives. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information.</p>  </userestrict>
  <relatedmaterial id="aspace_de868387952c4ebbd34a8a74d7d90dbc">
    <head>Related Materials</head>
<p>Additional correspondence from this era is located in the Superintendents' Administrative Subject Files series.</p>  </relatedmaterial>
  <prefercite id="aspace_4f3ba5359cd7e4656bbc48e2dd132a4f">
    <head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p>Virginia Military Institute Archives. Records of the Superintendent. Edward W. Nichols Administration. [item details].</p>  </prefercite>
  <controlaccess>
    <subject source="local">Virginia Military Institute—Administration</subject>
    <subject source="local">Virginia Military Institute—History—20th century</subject>
    <subject source="local">Virginia Military Institute—Class of 1878</subject>
    <subject source="lcsh">World War, 1914-1918</subject>
    <subject source="local">Virginia Military Institute—History—World War, 1914-1918</subject>
  </controlaccess>
  <dsc><c id="aspace_75919c094a018cbf4928a645ff729ec1" level="series"><did><unittitle>Edward W. Nichols.  Official Correspondence Files</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/3/archival_objects/2847</unitid><physdesc altrender="whole"><extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">17 Linear Feet</extent></physdesc><unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1907/1924" type="inclusive">1907-1924</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial></did><scopecontent id="aspace_2195cb29f4121427ebd63fc477f341d6"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Office correspondence for VMI's third Superintendent, Edward West Nichols; he served from July 1, 1907-September 30, 1924.  The material consists of separately arranged incoming and outgoing correspondence.  The incoming correspondence for the period 1907-1915 is located in boxes/folders.  The outgoing correspondence series for the period 1907-1915 is located in bound letterbook volumes.  (1915 is the end date for Superintendent letterbooks format).  From 1915-1924 all correspondence is located in a box/folder arrangement. Letterbook volumes have internal indexes</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_2a86f2dea823e2455a74ed771d69e8d5" level="file"><did><unittitle>Edward W. Nichols.  Biographical file, personal items, memorabilia</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/3/archival_objects/2867</unitid><physdesc altrender="whole"><extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">1 boxes</extent></physdesc><unitdate datechar="creation" type="inclusive">1878-1924 bulk</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial></did><scopecontent id="aspace_b6a41de03a0802d79607837b9f5d02f3"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Edward W. Nichols biographical and personal material.  Includes file containing biographical and genealogical information; draft manuscript for a mathematics textbook on Differential Calculus; scrapbook fragment "Southern Trip, 1923"; publications signed by Nichols; condolence letters and telegrams sent to Nichols' wife after his death</p></scopecontent><bioghist id="aspace_ca5f83bc9e48d2c005778a3ccf0b7c65"><head>Biographical / Historical</head><p>Edward West Nichols served as VMI's third Superintendent from 1907-1924.</p></bioghist><controlaccess><subject source="lcsh">Mathematics—Study and teaching</subject></controlaccess></c></dsc>
</archdesc>
</ead>