Our Mission
The Ab Nicholas Scholarship Foundation is dedicated to increasing access to higher education for Wisconsin high school students who have participated as players or managers in their school’s basketball program. We provide need-based, annually renewable scholarships for students pursuing four-year degrees at any University of Wisconsin System institution.
Our Founder
Albert Nicholas, founder of the Milwaukee-based investment firm Nicholas Company, Inc.—which manages the Nicholas mutual funds—established this foundation in 2012 with an endowment of $50 million.
Born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1931, Ab Nicholas attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on an athletic scholarship, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA in finance and investments.
During his tenure as a guard for the UW-Madison basketball team, Ab Nicholas achieved notable athletic success, twice earning All-Big 10 honors and a selection to Look Magazine’s All-American team. Upon graduation, he held the record as the highest-scoring guard in university history, and in 2010, he was formally inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Deeply committed to the belief that his UW education was instrumental to his success both professionally and personally, Ab Nicholas founded this organization to extend that same opportunity to Wisconsin student-athletes. It remains our objective to help these students achieve their academic goals and open doors to a successful future.
To learn more about the life and legacy of Ab Nicholas, please watch this video.