Henry Nicols of Cooperstown was a 10-year-old hemophiliac when infected with AIDS by a blood transfusion in 1985. People then were afraid of catching AIDS and really not sure about the method of transmission.

In 1991, when Henry was a high school senior, he announced to the world that he had AIDS. He became an AIDS activist and a national celebrity. He told one young questioner that he planned to run for president.

Nicols died in 2000. His father — Henry J. Nicols — has written a memoir about his son’s life. A former police officer, police chief and hospital administrator, the elder Nicols has carried on as an advocate for people with AIDS.

To hear my WVTL interview with Henry J. Nicols, click here.