Interesting Arcadian: Dr. J.H. Nicolas
By Bob Hoeltzel, Arcadia Town Historian
To long-time Newarkites, summer brings to mind Newark's world-famous Rose Garden, the annual rose parade, the crowning of rose queens, and other spectacles. Newark was the undisputed 'Rose Capitol of America' but for all-too-short a time.
Credit for the success of Jackson & Perkins in becoming one of the world's foremost propagators and growers of roses must be shared by several talented persons. The hiring of Dr. J. H. Nicolas in 1930 as director of the company's research laboratories, however, first brought Jackson & Perkins to the attention of serious rose growers and enthusiasts worldwide.
Jean Henri Nicolas, while never socially-active in Newark, was an interesting person.
Born in Roubaix, France, August 13, 1875, he credited his heredity and early surroundings for his love of roses. Roubaix is near Lille, the textile center of northern France. His father had inherited a cotton factory, founded in 1810, the first in France to import American cotton. The family estate, Domaine de Cartigny, had been in the family since the 15th century and contained one of the most extensive amateur rosaries in France. His father was an avid rose enthusiast.
Educated at the College de Roubaix, Nicolas graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Letters and Bachelor of Sciences. This was followed by graduate work at the Sorbonne where he received a masters degree and, later, the honorary degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences.
As a third son, JHN, following an old French custom, seemed destined for an army career. Graduating from the Polytechnic School of Artillery, he attained the rank of captain in the French army, but impaired eyesight caused him, at 27 years of age, to withdraw from the army and enter the family textile business. His father sent him to America to purchase cotton for the mills.
While in New Orleans, he met a young lady from Chicago who was wintering in the south with her family. When following the genteel custom of asking her father for his permission to marry, JHN gave his promise not to take the young lady to France to live, and to become an American citizen. He kept his promise, although in later years he visited rose gardens and hybridizers in Europe every other year.
Employed for a time by Mrs. Pierre duPont, who had regained possession of her ancestral estate, Chateau d'Andslot, near Lyons, France, it was JHN's task to restore the grounds to their original grandeur. Otherwise, it appears that he spent the next several years traveling world-wide visiting the leading flower growers. He also did some teaching and lecturing.
In January, 1930, JHN was hired by Charles H. Perkins, president of J&P, nephew and namesake of its founder, as the company's director of research. A Newark newspaper reporting on the appointment, noted that Nicolas was appointed to the position because his 'rose hybridizing work in France had gained him an international reputation.' His first duty was to supervise the development of a rose test garden, then being laid out.
Moving to Newark immediately, the Nicolas family, JHN and his wife and daughter Lucy, made their home on Jefferson Street. While many lovely varieties of roses already existed, it was Nicolas's passion to develop hardier strains which would better withstand the ravages of disease, insects and extremes of weather.
For the benefit of Arcadians who may wish to include Newark-related varieties to their own rose gardens, I am listing the names of those for which patents were awarded to JHN, together with the dates they were introduced to the public by J&P: Kismet (1930), Leonard Barron (1931), Clarisa Dana; Harmony; Joan Ross (1933), Empire State; Mrs. Francis King; Polar Bear; Rochester; Shenandoah; Virginia; Yosemite (1934), Carillon; Gloaming; Queen Louise Boren; Rocket (1935), Neon; Queen Margaret Hunt; Stratford (1936) Bernice; Smiles, Snowbank (1937) , Miss America (1938), Dr. J. H. Nicolas , Flambeau; Starlite (posthumously, 1940), King Midas; Mary Margaret McBride; (1934) Reveille (posthumously, 1941).
While several of the above were award-winners, the most highly-acclaimed variety was the Eclipse. This rose was introduced in 1935. It received the Portland Gold Medal and the Rome Gold Medal in 1935, the Bagatelle Gold Medal in '36 and the American Rose Society's David Fuerstenberg Prize in '38.
In addition to writing numerous articles in horticultural journals, Dr. Nicholas authored three books, The Rose Manual, A Rose Odyssey, and A Year in the Rose Garden. In a blurb on the dust cover of the last-named, the president of the American Rose Society wrote, 'Dr. Nicholas stands in the forefront of the world's experts - not only growing but breeding Roses, of which a goodly number have achieved both fame and popularity.' The French Academy awarded him the Palms de Academie for his writings.
A trustee of the American Rose Society, JHN was also vice-president of the National Rose Society of England, vice-president of the French Rose Society, and honorary life member of the German Rose Society.
Although he had transferred his place of residence and citizenship to the United States, his native land kept its interest in JHN's accomplishments, awarding him honorary life membership in the National Horticultural Society of France, and the decoration of Merite Agricole. In 1931, a year after coming to Newark, he received France's highest honor, Knight of the Legion of Honor of France!
He was honorary president and advisor to the Newark Garden Club.
Dr. Nichols' death occurred at the Ten Eyck Hotel in Albany on September 25, 1937. He died in his sleep of a heart ailment; returning to Newark from a tour of nurseries in New Jersey and Connecticut.
After a funeral at his residence, this outstanding Newarkite was cremated and his ashes 'laid away', as he had requested, in the original J&P rose garden, then located at the west end of Jefferson St. Probably no Arcadian to date has had a more distinguished world-wide reputation than Jean Henri Nicolas, N. Sc. D.
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