Former Supt. John Nicoll dies at 83

John Nicoll, the former Newport-Mesa Unified School District

superintendent whose 22-year career encompassed both triumph and

controversy, died of heart failure Saturday at his home in Newport

Beach. He was 83.

The longest-serving Newport-Mesa superintendent, Nicoll entered a

district in 1971 that had 1% minority enrollment and limited

technology and led it as it grew more diverse and sophisticated. But

his career ended on a troubling note in 1993, when he resigned amid

an embezzlement scandal that shocked the community.

In 1992, Newport-Mesa financial officer Stephen Wagner pleaded

guilty to embezzling nearly $4 million from district accounts for his

personal use. While Nicoll denounced Wagner’s actions and was never

implicated in any wrongdoing himself, the incident turned many in the

district against the superintendent. When Nicoll announced his

resignation in December 1992, he cited ill health, and not the

scandal, as the reason.

Nicoll left a checkered legacy in Newport-Mesa, as some parents

and teachers scorned him while others praised him as a bold,

imaginative administrator.

“He was a leader who was willing to make the hard decisions,

whether they were popular or not,” said Sherry Loofbourrow, a

Newport-Mesa school board member from 1981 to 1994. “He always had

the best interests of the children in mind.

“There are a lot of superintendents who think they’re just

administrators and don’t understand that what they need to do is

partner with their school boards, who are the elected representatives

of the people, to make sure the values and beliefs of the community

are reflected in the community’s schools. He spent an extraordinary

amount of time listening to all of us reflect on what the community

wanted.”

The only child of a working-class family -- his father worked in

the oil fields -- Nicoll was born in Bellflower in 1921. He earned

his master’s degree at Claremont College and his doctorate at

Columbia University. He served in the Army Air Force during World War

II and later in the Reserve.

In 1959, he became the youngest superintendent in the state when

he took the reins of the Pacific Grove Unified School District; when

he retired from Newport-Mesa years later, he was the oldest. Before

coming to Newport-Mesa, Nicoll led the Central High School District

in Long Island and the Vallejo Unified School District in Northern

California.

During his tenure at Newport-Mesa, the 6-foot, 1-inch, deep-voiced

Nicoll won a reputation both for his loyalty to schools and for his

tough demeanor. The latter alienated some of his colleagues, but

Nicoll shrugged it off as part of a demanding job.

It was his tenacity, however, that helped Newport-Mesa make a

number of significant strides during Nicoll’s tenure. During the two

decades of his leadership, the district put computers in classrooms,

launched a mentor program and negotiated with the Irvine Co. to find

spots for schools in the developing areas of Newport Beach.

He was also renowned as a lobbyist, once netting a $2.5-million

grant for athletic and performing arts facilities at the district’s

high schools.

“He lived life to the fullest,” said his son, Larry Nicoll.

“That’s what he told me right before he passed away. He didn’t have

any regrets.”

After leaving Newport-Mesa, Nicoll remained active, serving as a

professor at National University for nearly a decade. On Sept. 7,

just three days before his death, the university gave him its Faculty

Senate Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Despite his many accolades, Nicoll left Newport-Mesa as a

controversial figure. In the weeks before he announced his departure,

more than 400 parents signed a petition demanding his replacement,

citing both the Wagner scandal and recent layoffs of teachers and

other district staff.

In addition, many district employees turned against Nicoll in his

final days in office. In fall 1992, when 88% of the district’s

teachers, nurses, psychologists and librarians voted on the

superintendent’s job performance, 95.9% of the ballots expressed no

confidence in him.

Some close to Nicoll said the superintendent, who had undergone

bypass surgery shortly before his retirement, left because the stress

of his job became too high.

“The embezzlement wasn’t a fun time for anybody,” said former

school board member Jim de Boom. “The community wanted to crucify

anyone in leadership in the school district at that time, and that

was tough on Dr. Nicoll.”

After leaving Newport-Mesa, Nicoll was a regular visitor at the

district office, where he kept in close touch with old colleagues. In

1993, he initiated the John W. Nicoll Scholarship Fund, which grants

$2,500 over five years to a Newport-Mesa student planning a career in

education.

Apart from his two sons, Nicoll is survived by seven grandchildren

and seven great-grandchildren. A memorial service is planned at noon

Saturday at Pacific View Memorial Park.

* MICHAEL MILLER covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617 or by e-mail at [email protected].