Courtlandt Nicoll Explained

Courtlandt Nicoll
Office:Member of the New York State Senate
Term Start:1925
Term End:1926
Predecessor:Ogden L. Mills
Successor:Julius Miller
Term Start1:1918
Term End1:1918
Predecessor1:Meyer Levy
Successor1:Abraham Greenberg
Birth Date:2 December 1880
Birth Place:Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Death Place:Water Mill, New York, U.S.
Party:Republican
Education:St. Paul's School
Alma Mater:Princeton University
New York Law School
Parents:Benjamin Nicoll
Grace Davison Lord
Children:4
Relatives:De Lancey Nicoll (uncle)

Courtlandt Nicoll (December 2, 1880, in New York City – September 20, 1938, in Water Mill, Suffolk County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Early life

He was the son of Benjamin Nicoll (1855–1921)[1] and Grace Davison (née Lord) Nicoll. His younger sister, Elsie Nicoll (1887–1947),[2] married John Sloane, Jr. (1883–1971),[3] chairman of W. & J. Sloane, in 1917.[2] the nephew of William D. Sloan and Emily Thorn Vanderbilt.[4] His father was a coal and steel merchant who, upon his 1921 death, left his estate three-fifths to Courtlandt and two-fifths to his sister Elsie, after providing for a $850,000 trust for their mother.[5]

His paternal grandparents were Solomon Townsend Nicoll (1813–1864) and Charlotte Anne Nicoll (1827–1891). Nicoll's uncle was De Lancey Nicoll (1854–1931), the New York County District Attorney.[6] He was a direct descendant of Matthias Nicoll, an English lawyer, who emigrated to America with his uncle, Sir Richard Nicholls, the first Governor of the English Province of New York following Dutch rule under Peter Stuyvesant, in 1664. His maternal grandfather was James Couper Lord, son of Daniel Lord. He attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. He graduated A.B. from Princeton University in 1903; and from New York Law School in 1905.[7]

Career

He was an Alderman (28th D.) of New York City from 1911 to 1913.[8]

Nicoll was a member of the New York State Senate (17th D.) in 1918; and was Chairman of the Committee on Penal Institutions.

He was again a member of the State Senate in 1925 and 1926. In 1925, he sponsored legislation which forced New York City to use voting machines at subsequent elections.[9] In November 1926, he was defeated for re-election by Democrat Abraham Greenberg. At the opening of the next session in January 1927, Nicoll contested Greenberg's election,[10] but after long drawn out proceedings Greenberg's election was upheld in February 1928.[11]

Personal life

On April 19, 1911, he married Ione Page (d. 1940), who served as Vice Chairman of the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform;[12] and a delegate to the New York State Convention to Ratify the 21st Amendment in 1933. She was the daughter of Howard Page (d. 1925), who was associated with the Standard Oil Company,[13] and Mildred A. (née Mitchell) Page (d. 1937). Together, they were the parents of five children:

He was President of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the City of New York from December 1935[18] to February 1938.

He died in his sleep on September 20, 1938, at his country home in Water Mill, New York,[19] of coronary thrombosis. His widow died on August 9, 1940, after falling down 16 stories from a room in New York Hospital.[20] Her funeral was attended by Mayor LaGuardia and David Rockefeller.[21]

Notes and References

  1. News: BENJAMIN NICOLL DIES. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 4 July 1921.
  2. News: MISS ELSIE NICOLL WEDS JOHN SLOANE; Chairman of Junior Committee of American Ambulance Hospital Is a Bride. CEREMONY IN MORRISTOWN Reception at Merrywood, the Nicoll Summer Home--Bridegroom a Member of Squadron A.. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 24 June 1917.
  3. News: Times. Special To the New York. John Sloane, 88, Ex‐Chairman Of Furniture Company, Is Dead. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 4 August 1971.
  4. Book: Hutto. Richard Jay. The Jekyll Island Club Members. 2005. Indigo Custom Publishing. 9780977091225. 136. 29 September 2017. en.
  5. News: $850,000 FUND FOR WIDOW.; Will of Benjamin Nicoll Leaves Residuary Estate to Children.. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 16 July 1921.
  6. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/09/10/100501961.pdf Courtlandt Nicoll, who is a nephew of De Lancey Nicoll...
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=7eA8AAAAIAAJ&q=coronary+thrombosis Yearbook of the Bar Association of New York City
  8. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/12/29/100076287.pdf BLAMES CHARTER, NOT ALDERMEN, FOR CITY'S MUNICIPAL ILLS
  9. https://www.nytimes.com/1925/03/20/archives/vote-machine-bill-passes-the-senate-nicoll-measure-forcing-new-york.html VOTE MACHINE BILL PASSES THE SENATE; Nicoll Measure Forcing New York City to Buy Them Is Adopted
  10. https://www.nytimes.com/1927/01/04/archives/nicoll-to-contest-for-senate-seat-charges-violation-of-ballot.html NICOLL TO CONTEST FOR SENATE SEAT.; Charges Violation of Ballot Secrecy Caused His Defeat by Senator Greenberg
  11. https://www.nytimes.com/1928/02/16/archives/greenbergs-right-to-seat-confirmed-state-senate-committee-decides.html GREENBERG'S RIGHT TO SEAT CONFIRMED
  12. https://www.nytimes.com/1931/11/09/archives/mrs-nicoll-scores-dry-law-in-pulpit-in-lynbrook-church-she-says.html MRS. NICOLL SCORES DRY LAW IN PULPIT
  13. Book: Downs. Winfield Scott. Company. American Historical. Encyclopedia of American biography: New series. 1940. American Historical Society. 19–20. 29 September 2017. en.
  14. News: MISS MILDRED NICOLL ENGAGED TO BE WED; Alumna of Barnard Fiancee of Charles Rauch of Farmington. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 9 November 1940.
  15. News: KATHRYNA H. RAY WED TO AVIATOR; Bishop Manning and Father of Bride Officiate at Marriage ., to Lt. Courtlandt Nicoli. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 15 April 1944.
  16. News: NANCY WOODS IS WED. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. January 4, 1958.
  17. News: EILEEN NICOLL WED TO FLOYD HASKELL; Escorted by Her Brother at Her Marriage in Chapel of Transfiguration Church. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 28 December 1941.
  18. https://www.nytimes.com/1935/12/20/archives/nicoll-heads-city-museum.html Nicoll Heads City Museum
  19. https://www.nytimes.com/1938/09/21/archives/c-nicoll-lawyer-dies-in-his-sleep-exstate-senator-stricken-at-his-c.html C. NICOLL, LAWYER, DIES IN HIS SLEEP
  20. https://www.nytimes.com/1940/08/10/archives/mrs-nicoll-dies-in-16story-plunge-social-and-political-leader.html MRS. NICOLL DIES IN 16-STORY PLUNGE
  21. News: NOTABLES AT RITES FOR MRS. NICOLL; Mayor La Guardia Among 200 Persons at Church of the Transfiguration FLOWERS SENT BY GROUPS Dr. Randolph Ray and Rev. B.A.E. McLaughlin Read the Episcopal Service. 29 September 2017. The New York Times. 13 August 1940.