Lawrence Dale Nicholson Sr. was born on January 8, 1939, in Warren, Bradley County, Arkansas.
He began his college career in 1957 at Henderson State Teachers College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, before transferring to the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 1958. He served in the Arkansas National Guard and was called to service during the Little Rock desegregation crisis at Central High School in 1957.
In 1959 Nicholson began his professional career in television at KTVE in El Dorado. He then worked for several radio stations, including WPLO in Atlanta and KGHI in Little Rock before returning to television at KTVE. Nicholson began working at KATV in Little Rock in 1962. He became general manager of the station in 1974 and was president and general manager until 2009. Nicholson continued to be employed at KATV as chairman until 2013.
Nicholson served on the executive committee of the Downtown Partnership and was commissioner of the Metro-Center Commission for Downtown Little Rock. He sat on the boards of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Heart Association, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Boy Scouts of America, Children's Museum of Arkansas, and Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. Nicholson was president of the Arkansas Broadcasters Association in 1988. He served as promotion advisory chairman of the ABC Affiliate Board of Governors from 1985–1988 and continued to serve on the board from 1989–1992.
Nicholson won the National Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Advertising Federation. He was also honored with the Pioneer Award from the Arkansas Broadcasters Association. In 2008 Nicholson was awarded the Emmy Gold Circle Award by the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of fifty years of service in the television industry. He also received an honorary doctorate from Philander Smith College.
Nicholson passed away in Little Rock on June 2, 2013.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Dale Nicholson and still frame from Pryor Center video interview; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Dale Nicholson's maternal great-great-grandfather, Captain James Madison Mitchell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Dale Nicholson's maternal great-grandfather, James Morgan Mitchell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Dale Nicholson's maternal great-grandparents, Lucy Siveley Coopwood and B. J. Coopwood, married 1860
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Dale Nicholson's paternal great-grandfather, B. J. Coopwood
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Dale Nicholson's grandparents, William Mayberry Nicholson and Cornelia Coopwood Nicholson, with their children, Shorty and Elvin
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Dale Nicholson's maternal grandfather, Almond Haygood Mitchell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Dale Nicholson's maternal grandparents, Sarah Belle Leona Coon Mitchell and Almond Haygood Mitchell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Dale Nicholson's mother, Rachel Mitchell (Nicholson), as a young girl, and her brother, Almond Haygood Mitchell, with their mother and step-father, Sarah Belle Leona Coon MItchell Clary and Bill Clary
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Dale Nicholson's mother, Rachel Mitchell (Nicholson), and her brother, Almond Haygood Mitchell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Dale Nicholson's grandparents, William Mayberry Nicholson and Cornelia Coopwood Nicholson
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Dale Nicholson with his parents, William Cecil Nicholson and Rachel Mitchell Nicholson; Warren, Arkansas, ca. 1943
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Dale Nicholson as host of the children's show Captain Nick and His Puppet Pals at KTVE-TV; El Dorado, Arkansas, 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Dale and Patsy Nicholson on their wedding day, 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Dale and Patsy Nicholson with their son, Lawrence Dale "Nick" Nicholson Jr., 1961
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Dale Nicholson with his son, Lawrence Dale "Nick" Nicholson Jr., ca. 1961
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Dale Nicholson with his son, Lawrence Dale "Nick" Nicholson Jr., 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Dale Nicholson (left) with his niece and nephew
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Dale Nicholson, KATV publicity photo, ca. 1960s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: KATV publicity poster with (from left) B. J. Sams, Jim Pitcock, Judy Pryor, Dale Nicholson, Bud Campbell, and (back row) Gary Weir as Bozo the Clown
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Dale Nicholson's daughter, Kelli (center), at Christmas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Dale Nicholson (far right) and his wife, Patsy, holding their daughter, Kelli (far left), with other family members at Christmas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Dale Nicholson (center) playing cards at a KATV picnic
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Dale Nicholson playing the trombone
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: Dale and Patsy Nicholson
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: Dale Nicholson with his son, Nick Nicholson
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: Dale Nicholson with his granddaughters, Cameryn and Meredith Miller
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Dale Nicholson with (from left) his granddaughter, Meredith Miller; daughter, Kelli Miller; son-in-law, Charles Miller; and granddaughter, Cameryn Miller Burch
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: Dale Nicholson, president and general manager of KATV
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Dale Nicholson (right) with his children, Nick Nicholson and Kelli Nicholson Miller
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Dale Nicolson with reporter, Anne Pressly, on the KATV news set
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Dale Nicholson in front of KATV's new broadcast tower; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Dale Nicholson beside the dedication plaque for the KATV transmitter building; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Dale Nicholson (center) with KATV sales manager, Mark Rose (left), and KATV news director, Randy Dixon, at the Mid-America EMMY Awards ceremony; St. Louis, Missouri, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Dale Nicholson (right) with former colleagues: (from left) Randy Dixon, Ray Tucker, and Bob Steel; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2013
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Dale Nicholson; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Dale Nicholson; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#38: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Dale Nicholson; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#39: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview Dale Nicholson; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2012
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
