Who are Don and Gee Nicholl?
Don Nicholl was a British writer who was invited by Norman Lear to join the staff of “All in the Family” early in its run. Don went on to co-create and co-executive produce “The Jeffersons” and then, leaving the Lear family, he co-created and co-executive produced “Three’s Company” and its spin-offs. He died in 1980 with his name gracing hundreds of TV episodes. Don’s widow, Gee, remembering the tough times they had endured at the beginning of their careers, established the Nicholl Fellowships in his memory, initially at Stanford University and then at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She and Don had often spoken about helping other writers, and she hoped that the fellowship dollars would make the struggle a little easier for those just starting out. Sadly, Gee Nicholl died unexpectedly in January 2009. All of us connected with the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting will miss her tremendously.
