Members of the student chapter of the Northeast Florida Builder's Association

Two little girls who live at Atlantic Beach probably aren't aware of it, but they served as part of the inspiration for a major gift their grandparents made to help build and equip the new Fine Arts Center at UNF.

The Gunter sisters, Kendall Elizabeth, 9, and Taylor Diane, 4, are the granddaughters of Gerald and Jackie Nichols. The Nichols recently donated $125,000 that was designated for the Fine Arts Center. The money is eligible for matching funds through the state's Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program, which can double the size of the gift to $250,000.

"I am deeply grateful to Jackie and Gerry Nichols for their generosity and support," said Dr. Mark Workman, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "In making their gift to the Fine Arts Center, the Nichols have reaffirmed the importance of the fine and performing arts and, more broadly, the enduring value of the liberal arts within the University's curriculum. I am proud to be able to count them among the friends of the College of Arts and Sciences."

Gerald Nichols, retired vice chairman of CSX Transportation, quickly deflects any praise regarding his involvement in the gift, preferring instead to give the lion's share of the credit to his wife of 44 years, Jackie. "My wife is quite a remarkable person," Nichols said. "She is bound and determined one or both of our granddaughters will develop a flair for the arts." Nichols, a UNF Foundation Board member for the last six years, speaks with a distinctive Kentucky accent and is fond of gently poking fun at himself and the world in general.

He was born in Louisville and attended both the University of Kentucky, receiving a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and the University of Louisville where he was awarded a master's in business administration degree. His company, CSX Transportation, has nearly 30,000 employees and provides rail transportation and distribution services in 20 states. He and Jackie met in high school.

Jackie Nichols has maintained an affinity for the arts, fine and performing, since she first started learning about them when she was in elementary school. Down through the years, she has been a staunch supporter of the arts. Jackie is a member of the Jacksonville Symphony Guild and is jokingly credited by her husband with "shaping me up into an upstanding person" by taking him to the symphony and other cultural pursuits. She worked as a registered nurse, an instructor and an administrator for 20 years. Jackie has degrees from Murray State College and the University of Louisville.

"I am personally committed to this gift because I feel strongly that fine arts can benefit and enhance everyone's life in some capacity," Jackie said. "It is my belief that children who are exposed to and have the opportunity to experience the fine arts at an early age will be better prepared and more confident to achieve in whatever endeavor they choose." She went on to say she wants her granddaughters to develop an appreciation for the arts when they are young. Jacqueline sees the new Fine Arts Center as a means of doing this for her granddaughters and for many other young people in the community. The Nichols' daughter, Kathryn Nichols Gunter, currently attends UNF. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Georgia. Their son, Andrew, works in international shipping. He received a bachelor's degree in Russian area studies and language from the University of Richmond.

In recognition of the Nichols' gift, their names will be displayed on a plaque at the entrance to a second-floor conference room in the upper atrium/lobby and on a donor wall in the Fine Arts Center. While the Nichols are honored by the recognition, they have a couple of other names they would like to see on that plaque. "I want my grandchildren's names on it," Jackie Nichols said softly.