William Flynt Nichols (October 16, 1918 – December 13, 1988) was a Democratic member of United States House of Representatives from Alabama, having served from 1967 until his death from a heart attack in Washington, D.C. in 1988.

Nichols enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 and served five years in the European Theatre.

He was wounded at the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, losing a leg in a land mine explosion.

He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart, and retired with the rank of Captain in 1947.

Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, Nichols co-authored the Goldwater–Nichols Act, the far-reaching reorganization of the United States Department of Defense command structure.