Jerry Pat Nims

Jerry P. Nims - a psychologist, attorney, and professor - died at his home in Reno on January 24, 2011, at the age of 82. Born in Provo, Utah, he was raised in Ogden and on a cattle ranch in Idaho. After serving with the U.S. Army in Korea, he earned a PhD in Psychology from USC and practiced privately in southern California. In 1968 he moved his family to South Lake Tahoe and founded the Tahoe Institute.

A founding member of Fielding Graduate University, Jerry served on its board of trustees and spent 35 years as a faculty member. In the late 1970s, he and his wife Martha moved to Reno, where they founded AIM Consultants and continued his private practice. He entered the Nevada School of Law, earning his J.D. and admission to the Nevada State Bar, and he was licensed to practice law in Nevada.

From 1988 to 2001, Jerry served as a Washoe County Court Appointed Special Advocate, and in the late 1990s he developed and served on the board of Special Advocates for Elders (SAFE), an organization of trained champions for seniors under guardianship. He never retired, continuing to see patients and work with students until his final weeks. Among his many honors were the APA Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award and the NSPA Outstanding Contribution to Psychology award.