Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Jesse Frank Nicholson, 93, a lawyer and businessman who was a former executive director of the Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, died Jan. 10 of congestive heart failure at Suburban Hospital. He was a Rockville resident.
Mr. Nicholson went to work for the Montgomery County government in 1935 as a clerk in the auditor's office. He was later
appointed county accountant, the predecessor to director of finance.
In 1941, he was called to active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a lieutenant, and he served in the Office of Naval Intelligence
in Washington for two years. He then served in the Pacific Theater on the staff of the Commander Battleships, Division II, on the
U.S.S. Tennessee. He participated in campaigns for the capture of the Gilberts, Marshall and Palaus islands and the
Philippines.
After a tour of duty in the Office of the Judge Advocate General, he returned to inactive duty in 1946 as a lieutenant commander.
Mr. Nicholson worked as a lawyer in the general counsel's office of the U.S. Maritime Commission for a year before becoming
secretary-treasurer of the Park and Planning Commission in 1947. He became executive director in 1960 and served until 1966.
After retiring, Mr. Nicholson was appointed a vice president of Maryland National Bank, now Bank of America. Over a 10-year
period, he was involved in business development and the growth of the bank in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.
In 1978, Mr. Nicholson was elected a director of Chevy Chase Bank, and he served on the audit and loan committees until
retiring in 1996.
Mr. Nicholson was born in Chevy Chase and attended Western High School. He graduated from the old Devitt Preparatory
School in Washington and attended the University of Maryland and George Washington University. After going to school at night,
he received law degrees from the old National University Law School that is now a part of the George Washington University
Law Center.
A civic and business leader, Mr. Nicholson was a vice president of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United
States and Canada. He also was president of the Silver Spring Kiwanis Club and the Silver Spring Boys Club. He was an officer
in the Montgomery County Civic Federation and chairman of the advisory board of Holy Cross Academy. He served for many
years as a trustee of Suburban Hospital and as chairman of its advisory council. He also held an elected position on the board
of managers of the Suburban Hospital Foundation.
Mr. Nicholson served on the vestry of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase.
Survivors include his wife, Audrey Nicholson of Chevy Chase; and a sister, Dorothy Mildred Stabell of Washington.