Blackburn Institute

Frank A. Nix

Frank Nix grew up in Walker County Alabama. He earned a bachelor of science degree in Finance from the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business. During his college career, Mr. Nix was a member of Jasons, ODK, Circle K, ROTC, and was president of a resident hall and served as an SGA officer. Throughout his life as a distinguished alumnus, Mr. Nix constantly thought about what he could do to help The University.

Mr. Nix earned an MBA from Samford University in Birmingham. He served as a U.S. Army office from 1965-1967 with a year of service in Vietnam. In 1969, Frank Nix founded Arlington Properties. Arlington Properties is a multifaceted development company consisting of development, construction, and management divisions and is considered as one of the premiere privately-owned apartment development companies in the Southeast.

For nine years, Mr. Nix served as a member of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. He chaired the commission (ACHE) for two years. He was a member of Governor Hunt’s education reform task force and chaired the Parent/Teacher Task Force and Strategic Planning Committee for the Jefferson County School System.

Mr. Nix was a member of the Birmingham Kiwanis Club, the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home Trustee, and served as past president of the University of Alabama National Alumni Association. In 1996, he was honored as the Alumni of the Year by the National Alumni Association. That same year, Mr. Nix was tragically killed in an airplane crash in Birmingham, Alabama.

Frank A. Nix will be remembered as someone who connected diverse people together for positive solutions, yet never served as the center of attention. He was known as a quiet leader and the ultimate team player who always worked within a moral and ethical framework. Frank A. Nix was the light that inspired other to shine and do good works. The Frank A. Nix Lecture explores ethical leadership in the national arena.