Paul Nolan, a medical doctor who served on the Hamilton County Commission for 16 years, died Thursday night of liver failure. He was 85.

Dr. Nolan and his wife, Anne, moved to Hamilton County from North Carolina in 1959 and decided they didn't want to leave, Mrs. Nolan said.

He was the medical director at DuPont for more than 20 years, she said.

During that time, Dr. Nolan ran for a position on the Quarterly Court and served for two terms. He was a state representative from 1968 to 1970.

In 1982, Dr. Nolan was elected to the commission and retired from his DuPont job, Mrs. Nolan said. He was on the commission until 1998.

Mrs. Nolan said no funeral arrangements have been made, but a memorial service will be held at Signal Mountain Baptist Church.

"His body has been donated, at his request, to Vanderbilt Medical School," she said.

County Commissioner Richard Casavant, who succeeded Dr. Nolan on the commission, said Dr. Nolan would be missed.

"I considered him a friend and a mentor," Dr. Casavant said.

Dr. Casavant and Mrs. Nolan said Dr. Nolan championed education. Nolan Elementary School, which was named for him, opened during his last year on the commission.