George Nichols was a Vermont physician, politician, and educator. He was a Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, and served as Secretary of State of Vermont and acting president of Norwich University.

The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Vermont. The Office of the Secretary of State is located at 128 State St. in Montpelier. Since 2023, the secretary of state has been Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, a Democrat.