Shortly after Wayland became a four-year institution in 1948, the Flying Queens became the most dominant power the world of women's basketball has ever known.  Among the true leaders of that rise to fame was Cotton Center scoring machine Ruth Cannon Nichols.

Nichols, whose deadly ambidextrous hook shot was virtually unstoppable, was Wayland's first great scorer.  From 1951-55, her offensive prowess was a major factor in the Queens' record of 122-15.  During her tenure in Plainview, the Flying Queens posted records of 30-10, 37-4, 32-1 and 23-0, beginning what would become a 131-game win streak, the longest in collegiate history.

While playing for coaches Hank Garland, Sam Allen and Caddo Matthews, Nichols helped the Queens finish second nationally in 1953 before winning Amateur Athletic Union national championships in 1954 and 1955.  Her teams still hold school records of most wins in a season (37 in 1952-53), most consecutive wins (131 from 1953-58), fewest points allowed in a game (5 over the Stanton Independents in 1951-52), and fewest losses in a season (0 in 1954-55).

Nichols was named AAU All-American in 1953, 54 and 1955, and is one of only 11 Flying Queens to have been three-time All-Americans.  She was the national free-throw champion in 1954 and 1955 and captain of the All-American team in 1954.  She was also a member of the victorious United States team in the Pan American games in 1955.  At the time of her induction, Nichols was fourth in the Flying Queen Career Scoring with 2,159 career points.

A member of the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame, Nichols coached basketball and taught physical education in Plains, Alpine, Cotton Center and Anton, TX, winning a number of district championships.