Bradford Nichols III

Bradford Nichols Jr. was born on June 24, 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri to the late Ada (Hall)Nichols and Bradford Nichols Sr. Brad was baptized in the Catholic Church. His father was a tenor saxophone player on a river steam boat that traveled on the Mississippi River between St Louis and New Orleans, Louisiana. As a young boy, Brad traveled on these journeys with his parents.

Academically and musically astute, Brad was accepted at the most prominent of Detroit Public schools, Cass Technical High School. While attending Cass Tech, he joined the Elk Marching Band of the Motor City Lodge, as the second trumpeter that allowed him the opportunity to travel around the country and abroad.
While in high school, Brad obtained his first job which eventually led to a lifetime career with the City of Detroit that began with a part time position with the Department of Transportation of Street and Railroads Division.
After graduating from high school, Brad attended Wayne State University with Pharmacy as his origins of study, he continued employment with the City of Detroit as a Medical Attendant at the Maybury Sanitarium in Northville, Michigan.

He enlisted into the United States Army in 1952. While in the military, he served in the Finance Corps where there were virtually no African Americans. After serving two years with the 5th Army Audit Team, he was honorably discharged in 1954. Returning home, he resumed employment with the City of Detroit working as a pharmacy clerk at Herman Keifer Hospital. Brad received a Bachelorette of Arts degree in Sociology. In 1956 he was promoted as a public aid worker, assigned to the emergency room at Detroit Receiving Hospital.
In 1966, he married the late Sharon Denise Wilhite. From their union, his daughter and only child, Coire Denise was born.

Determined to demolish racism, he joined the Congress of Racial Equality leading to becoming an active participant in a variety of civil demonstrations and picketing of corporations such as Kroger grocery and Grinnell’s music stores to American Automotive Association (AAA) and Frito –Lay food distributions.
His activism guided him to seek employment within the cities Mayor’s Committee for Human Resource Development Committee (MCHRD), Detroit’s anti-poverty program. In 1964, he completed his Master’s of Art degree in Sociology at WSU leading to his promotion as the Director of Community Center Operations, then to Director of Special Projects.

As the Director of Special Projects he became involved with the development of an alcohol counseling program. This effort brought him to the attention of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism where they cited this program as being most innovative of its' kind. He participated as a national consultant on the development of community-based alcoholism programs. He was asked to join the newly created Bureau of Substance Abuse at the Detroit Health Department as Assistant Director in March of 1972. These promotions lead him to becoming a consultant for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

In 1990, he was promoted to the Director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse where he served until retiring on March 1, 1996. During his tenure, he had an administrative responsibility for $23 million dollars for local state and federal funding to provide substance abuse treatment and prevention services for the residents of the City of Detroit.

His affiliations during his role as the Bureau Director included: Consultant to the Federal Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention; Vice President: Michigan Association of Substance Abuse Coordinating Agencies; Founder Michigan Chapter, National Black Alcohol and Addictions Council; Member, New Detroit Human Needs Committee; Member, Detroit Public Housing Drug Elimination Committee; Member, Wayne County human Services Coordination Body; Member, the Children and Youth Initiative of Detroit/Wayne County; Member, Midwest Regional Center for Drug Free Schools and Community Advisory Committee; Member, Metropolitan Detroit Substance Abuse Aids prevention Task Force; Member, Wayne County Community Corrections Advisory Board; Resource, Detroit City Council task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention; Member, Tri Cities Tobacco Action Coalition.

Bradford leaves to cherish his only child, the apple of his eye, Coire Denise Nichols Houston , his Son-in-Law ; on-site computer fixer-upper, Detroit Lion’s Road-Dog and seasonal game companion for over 10 years, Herman Houston III; three truly loved and spoiled grandchildren: Brieon Denise, Herman, IV and Bradford Nichols ; one brother: Mark (Robin)Nichols, a loving and devoted companion for more than twenty-five years Velestia ReVels, and her children Leisa ReVels Parham, Donald ReVels, Kimberly ReVels and Mark ReVels (deceased); nieces, great nephews, cousins and a plethora of most beloved friends throughout the years.