Difficult Early Days Yield a Heart of Gratitude

The family history in the Valley dates back to 1857 when the first members of the Nicholson paternal side arrived in California and eventually acquired acreage in Alviso (north San Jose) in 1868. This land was known to the family as “the Ranch,” and over the years, it served a variety of functions from a cattle ranch to a pear orchard.  

The second Bay Area-born generation included Ruth Russell Nicholson and Wilmot (Bill) Joseph Nicholson, who were born in 1914 in Seabright (now Santa Cruz) and Alviso, respectively. They met in Capitola in 1931 and married in 1937. Their success had been challenging as both families endured hardships during the Great Depression, following the Great Crash of 1929.

Ruth’s Family

The Great Depression was particularly arduous on Ruth’s family. Her dad, Joseph Edward Russell, was a farmer who worked diligently to maintain two ranch businesses: one in San Jose and one in Tracy. The family lived apart, with Ruth and her mother staying in what was then rural Capitola. Travel was slow and difficult, but the family did what they could to continue making a living. “I know my father never would have taken welfare, if they’d had it. I’m sure he would have dug ditches or anything,” said Ruth.

Known for their compassion, they always were willing to share what they had, including providing work and housing for other folks when they could.

Bill’s Family

Bill’s family had their share of tough times as well, but thankfully they had the family Ranch to sustain them. Initially without electricity, plumbing or a phone, they made do. Bill’s father helped oversee the horses, which were the power before tractors. Bill grew up on the ranch, which eventually thrived; yielding fruits, vegetables, grain and dairy products.

The Ranch and family survived numerous treacherous events, including the 1906 earthquake, the flu epidemic of 1918, and flooding when the rivers overflowed.

MAKING THE REGION THEIR HOME – Bill and Ruth

Bill and Ruth both attended local Bay Area schools: Bill attended Bellarmine College Preparatory and later Santa Clara University while Ruth graduated from Los Gatos High and attended the College of the Pacific – which was in San Jose at the time (now University of the Pacific), and later graduated from San Jose State University.

Bill’s father passed when he was still in high school, and he was suddenly charged with running the Ranch, until he left for college to study engineering. Soon after graduating from Santa Clara in 1936, he went to work for the County of Santa Clara as an assistant engineer, then worked for a developer building homes. This was exciting work, as a new home meant that someone was prospering amid tough times.

He soon set off for an international adventure, working in South America as an engineer at a gold mining company in Colombia, then with the Panama Canal Department. He returned home to California as WWII erupted, working at Moffett Field for the Navy and later constructing sewage treatment plants in San Diego for the Navy.

When the war ended, the family settled in Santa Clara and eventually moved to Los Gatos. Ruth and Bill had six children, although sadly two of their children have since passed away.

Eager to provide for his family, Bill took $12,000 he had saved and started the W.J. Nicholson Company (later Nicholson-Brown Inc.) Through his construction business, Bill created a legacy throughout the Valley with hundreds of civic and community buildings that included churches, schools, industrial parks, Mission College, a San Jose police administration building, Milpitas City Hall and buildings for the Valley Transportation Authority and West Valley College. His sons have carried on this legacy through The Nicholson Company.

While Mayor of Santa Clara, Bill played an integral part in assisting the cities of Santa Clara and San Jose with a land swap to make room for a runway extension of the San Jose Airport. Although he was asked to run as a Congressman, he declined the opportunity to be closer to his growing family. Bill devoted his free time engaging in countless civic and community pursuits throughout his life. While he had always cherished working on the family Ranch, the land was eventually leased as a mobile home park, following a pear blight in the ‘70s.

ESTABLISHING A TRADITION OF VOLUNTEERING AND PAYING IT FORWARD

Ruth and Bill instilled in their family both a robust work ethic and an appreciation for the Bay Area and its diverse communities.

That has manifested itself in a commitment to service from all members of the Nicholson family who are known throughout the region as prominent philanthropists. They had excellent role models: Bill’s father volunteered at Alviso Grammar School as a clerk, and Ruth’s mom belonged to the Women’s Club of Santa Clara and her dad was an early board member of Sempervirens, with a mission to save redwood trees through the formation of Big Basin Park – an organization Bill later joined as well.

Ruth volunteered in ways big and small – serving the local PTA and her church and as a driver for the American Cancer Society. She was also active in a wide range of organizations, including the Junior Women’s Club, To Kalon (a women’s club), the San Jose Auxiliary to the Children’s Hospital at Stanford, and P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization, providing scholarships for women in many fields.

Bill was involved with numerous nonprofits and educational institutions and as a public servant. Among the many organizations he supported were:

• Santa Clara University, where he served on the Board of Regents and as construction manager, taught construction management in the school of engineering for 20 years and was the acting head of the Civil Engineering Department. The university honored him with the prestigious Ignatian Award for service to humanity.

• City of Santa Clara, where he served as a member of the Planning Commission and City Council and as Mayor.

• West Valley Joint Community College District, which he helped found and where he became the first president.

• Rotary Club of Santa Clara, where he actively contributed as a member and president.

• Numerous other nonprofits, including the National Committee of the Boy Scouts, Goodwill of Silicon Valley, California Institute for Medical Research and Lakeside School District in Los Gatos, where he held a wide variety of board leadership positions over the years.

Bill and Ruth’s example led to a legacy of volunteering and contributing, and the Nicholson children followed in their footsteps, collectively launching and serving as active volunteers in numerous Bay Area organizations, including:

• Santa Clara University (Board of Regents and Board of Fellows)

• George Mark Children’s House, the first free-standing pediatric hospice in the U.S. founded by a Nicholson daughter and dedicated to her deceased brothers

• United Way

• Rotary Club of Santa Clara

• Hope Rehabilitation Services

• Triton Museum of Art

• de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University

Contact Us:

info@thenicholsonranch.com