Duke Stars
Ken Nichols -- Senior General Maintenance Mechanic, Facilities Management, Duke University
"You can always better yourself and your situation at Duke. There's always a door waiting to be opened."
After four decades of heading dutifully to dorms,
classrooms and other campus buildings with a
hammer or plunger in tow, Ken Nichols takes
pride in being able to fix just about any problem
imaginable.
And sometimes, his reward is a friendly hug.
"A lot of people get shocked when someone comes
up and hugs an old man's neck," said Nichols, a senior
general maintenance mechanic in Facilities
Management. But after such a long tenure at Duke, it's
only natural that he's developed close ties with the
people he's met. In fact, it's his favorite part of the job.
"You make a lot of close friends over the
years," he said. "It sticks with you. You get to meet
people from the top to the bottom of personnel.
We do have a diverse group of people here, and it's
enjoyable."
Nichols' relationship with Duke started long
before he began working in Facilities Management
in the late 1960s. He was born and raised in a
house in Duke Forest, where he still lives.
"My dad started working in the Duke machine
shop in 1942, right after I was born," he said. "At
one time, he had six of his kids working on campus.
I've been around the university all my life."
Nichols began working at Duke soon after he and his wife had their
first child because Duke provided a steadier alternative to his construction
job. In 1966, he took time off to serve in the U.S. Army,
including one year in Vietnam. After he
returned in 1968, he moved up from
carpenter to general maintenance mechanic
manager and then to his current position.
His stint handling maintenance in the
dorms ranks high among his most memorable experiences.
"That is a major job, keeping up with whatever needs fixing," he said. The jobs range from
unstopping commodes and sinks to balancing light systems and changing window panes.
Currently, his teams are working to conserve water in response to one of the worst
droughts on record in the Durham area. Nichols works with his staff to change pipes
and replace automatic flush systems to help reduce water use.
At 66, Nichols grudgingly accepts his nickname, "Old Man," from his colleagues.
Hoping to reach retirement this year, the veteran will celebrate his 40-year anniversary
in December, and he is thankful that Duke helped him raise a family, including three
daughters, and five grandchildren.
"It's been a trip," he said. "And I've enjoyed it."
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