Archives West Finding Aid

James Findley Nickerson, the youngest of three brothers, was born in 1910 in central Nebraska, where his father was superintendent of schools. An accomplished pianist, he taught science, math and music in Nebraska schools after graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan College in Lincoln. After receiving master's and doctoral degrees at Columbia and the University of Minnesota, he taught in high school and colleges, joining the faculty at Montana State College as a professor of psychology in 1954. He also served as dean of the MSC's College of Education until 1964. He became president of Mankato State College in 1966 and died on March 5, 2009.

The White House Conference on Education was held in November and December, 1955, in response to a call from President Eisenhower to involve citizens and educators in a study of current educational problems. Prior to the Washington event, individual states held preliminary meetings and organizational activities to discuss the same issues on a local level and to select delegates for the upcoming national gathering. In Montana, James F. Nickerson was actively involved in these early meetings.