Howard C. Nolan Jr. (born August 24, 1932) is an attorney and politician from New York who served in the New York State Senate from 1975 to 1994.
Nolan was born in Albany, New York, on August 24, 1932. 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.
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, sitting in the 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th and 190th New York State Legislatures. 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.
A longtime civic activist, Nolan has served on the Board of Trustees for St. Peter’s Hospital. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the State of New York Mortgage Agency, the Community Foundation for the Capital Region, and WMHT (TV).
Nolan has also been Chairman of the Board of the Cerebral Palsy Center for the Disabled Foundation, and is 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 maintains an interest in horse racing, and is the owner of several thoroughbreds.
The Albany Knickerbocker News of June 14, 1985 reported that Sen. Nolan attacked the Planned Parenthood program's proposal to add first trimester abortion services to clinics located in Albany and Hudson. While he was a state senator, he began a campaign to have Title X federal funds used for family planning withdrawn from Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. Contrary to a previous Penn and Schoen poll, he claimed, without proof, that residents of his district did not "agree with the group's stand on abortion." During his time in the NYS senate, Nolan consistently voted against family planning and abortion. When Nolan decided not to run for reelection in 1994, he was replaced by a pro-choice state senator.