Howard C. Nolan Jr.

Howard C. Nolan Jr. (August 24, 1932 – June 17, 2023) was an attorney and politician from Albany, New York who served in the New York State Senate from 1975 to 1994.

Early life
Howard Charles Nolan Jr. was born in Albany, New York, on August 24, 1932, the son of Howard C. Nolan Sr. and Helen (Burke) Nolan. He graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in Albany in 1950, the College of the Holy Cross in 1954, and Albany Law School in 1957. Nolan was admitted to the bar in 1958 and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1957 to 1960, attaining the rank of first lieutenant in the Judge Advocate Division. After returning from the military Nolan practiced law in Albany, and later was a co-founder of Nolan & Heller, LLP.

Career
A Democrat, in 1974 he was elected to the New York State Senate from the 42nd District. Nolan was reelected every two years until 1992, and served from 1975 to 1994. He did not run for reelection in 1994. In 1977, Nolan ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Albany, losing the Democratic primary to longtime incumbent Erastus Corning 2nd. During his time in the state senate, Nolan was one of the few Democrats who opposed the pro-choice position on abortion.

A longtime civic activist, Nolan served on the Board of Trustees for St. Peter’s Hospital. He also served on the board of directors of the State of New York Mortgage Agency, the Community Foundation for the Capital Region, and WMHT (TV). Nolan was chairman of the board of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the Center for the Disability Services, and was a member of the Marine Corps League, the Knights of Columbus, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the Albany Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he maintained an interest in horse racing, was the owner of several thoroughbreds, and served as president of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. and chairman of Breeders' Cup Ltd. One Nolan initiative while in the senate combined his interest in criminal justice policy with his background in horse racing; In conjunction with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, he created the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Wallkill, which provides sanctuary for retired racehorses and the opportunity for inmates to build life skills by participating in a vocational training program.

Retirement and death
In retirement, Nolan lived in Delmar, New York and Pompano Beach, Florida. He died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June 17, 2023. He was buried at Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

Nolan was the subject of a memoir and biography, 2018's Politics and Ponies by Bill Heller.

Family
Nolan was married first to Geraldine Leonard, with whom he was the father of seven children. They later divorced, and she died in 2016. Nolan's second wife was Shannon Logan, who survived him.