Longtime Messenger Owner/Publisher Passes Away
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – Tom Nicol came from humble beginnings but made it a habit to overcome the odds. When they said a seismic product would never work, he re-invented it. When the US Government spirited him out of a South American country and then tried to renege on an insurance policy he had taken out for just such a situation, he took the feds to court. They said he would never win a suit against the US Government. Well, guess what? He did.
When they said don’t buy a newspaper, it’s a dying industry, he did and he made it work. Some 20-odd years later, The Messenger Newspaper is still going strong.
When he was told he had cancer, he shrugged and said let’s get to work on beating this thing. When he was told he had heart problems, he attacked them. Unfortunately, health issues finally caught up to him and on Monday of last week, Tom Nicol passed away at the age of 87.
Mr. Nicol did things his own way and accomplished things in his life people are only able to dream of. He also had some nightmare experiences, such as being put in a Russian jail cell at the height of the Cold War.
He was also generous to a fault and would take chances on people, simply because he believed in them. It didn’t always work out, but sometimes it did.
In 2011, he took a chance on me when I was at perhaps the lowest point in my life. His daughter, Kay, randomly asked me one day if I could write. I told her yes, but had never done so professionally. She told me to come in to speak with her dad in the next few days and we would see what happens.
The next week, Mr. Nicol and I sat down to discuss a position with the newspaper. He asked me the standard questions and we soon discovered – despite our age difference – we had more in common than you might think between seismic work, military service and Texas A&M.
He made me an offer and I accepted. Two weeks later, I was back in his office telling him I didn’t think I could do this job. He told me yes, I could, and sent me on my way. A month later, my self-confidence was still in the tank so I asked if I could speak with him.
Once again, I told him I didn’t think I could do this job. He got up and shut the door. We talked, not boss-to-employee, but rather man-to-man. He told me things about his life and I told him things about mine. Mr. Nicol also told me that even though I might not believe in myself, he did.
That worked for a little while, but a few months later, I was back in his office. He never got angry or raised his voice when I attempted to quit once again. He just told me to keep doing what I was doing and it would get easier. Eventually, it did.
I had tried to quit three times in less than six months, but Tom Nicol would not let me. For that, I am forever in his debt.
As the years went by, Mr. Nicol became more of a father/grandfather figure to me. He didn’t come to the office as much as when I first started, but when he did, he always had a kind word and was never too busy to visit.
He was never one for self-promotion, but if you look around the Houston County area, his influence can be seen. While I certainly won’t claim to have known him as well as some, what he and his family shared with me will always be treasured. Thank you for letting me get to know you somewhat and Godspeed. You will truly be missed.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected]
