Whilst at Glasgow, Nichol maintained his strong reputation in literary criticism, lecturing at the same time at Oxford as well as tutoring privately across the country.

[1] In 1885, the Nichol Prize for the most distinguished woman student in the Ordinary class of English Literature was founded by his sister, Lucy Jack.

He then worked as Professor of Modern Literature at University College, Liverpool before being appointed to the Regius Chair in 1900.

He studied at Trinity College, Dublin and had previously been Professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham.

[7] In 1965, Peter Butter was appointed to the chair, having previously been Professor of English at Queen's University Belfast.