Biography of Gouverneur "Bo" H. Nixon
Gouverneur H. Nixon, Jr., "Bo" to all who know him, was born in New York, NY in 1928 and graduated from Princeton Univesity with an Engineering Degree in 1950. He has been involved in D.D. Williamson & Co., Inc. all of his life.
D.D. Williamson was founded in New York in 1865. Nixon's father joined the firm in 1896 as an office boy and became owner and President in 1932.
After working summers building the Payne Street plant, Nixon and his bride moved to Louisville in 1950. He became President and CEO in 1963, re-organized the Company and moved the headquarters from New York to Louisville. He developed the strategy of building small plants near major customers, Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola, and established a global presence. Nixon retired in 1992 and currently enjoys fishing, golfing and woodworking.
Nixon was a Director of Liberty National Bank and the Brinly-Hardy Co., and has been active in the leadership of many civic organizations over the years. His principal focus has been St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and Norton Healthcare. At Norton he was Chairman of the Board when the Hospital purchased the Columbia-HCA Hospitals making it the largest healthcare system in Kentucky.
His first wife of fifty years Dotsie, started a seven year experience with cancer in 1993, which developed their focus on the disease. They started the Oncology Spirit Fund, which provides diversion activities for nurses to relieve stress. They also established the Oncology Education and Prevention Fund, which has supported more Oncology Certified Nurses than any hospital in the region. Although he has retired from the Norton Board, he attends meetings as Chair Emeritus to support Oncology and the Norton Cancer Institute which provides testing, care, treatment and support for the majority of patients and families in Louisville.
Bo Nixon and his wife, Edie Courtenay, live in St. Matthews and have a vacation home on Kiawah Island, SC. There are 40 children, grandchildren and spouses in their combined families.