When Bill Nickel was released from active duty, his father had been transferred by GM to its "Rochester Products" division and his parents were living in Rochester, New York. So that was now home even though he had never been there before.
Still
had one more year of college to go
and the University of Rochester did not appeal to me. Went to Syracuse and
was admitted to the Business School.
It was there that I met Jean Bradley
and we hit it off.
and the University of Rochester did not appeal to me. Went to Syracuse and
was admitted to the Business School.
It was there that I met Jean Bradley
and we hit it off.
Willard B. Nickel
June 2, 1947 Graduate from Syracuse
June 9, 1947 Start at Eastman Kodak
August 9, 1947 Marry Jean Bradley
By 1948, he and his wife had joined the extended Nickel family in a big house his father bought in Pittsford, just outside of Rochester. It was soon a four-generation household, with his maternal grandparents, parents and Bill's first and only child, his son, Tom.
Rochester is the
home of Kodak, which had the good fortune of making easy-to-use cameras
just as unprecedented numbers of babies were being born to parents who
would document every magic moment of their childhood. Kodak
did well and did its best as a company to help its employees, which is
an important part of Bill's story.
After beginning his
Kodak career in the main Accounting Department, Bill transferred to
Eastman Savings and Loan, which had been chartered back in 1920 by
George Eastman himself primarily to help his employees get home
mortgages.
Bill started as an Assistant Office Manager and left 32 years later as the Secretary Treasurer. He helped Kodak people buy homes and he helped manage ES&L's money. Most of his career was a steady upward arc, which allowed him to buy a house of his own in 1952 and take nice Summer vacations like this one on Cape Cod in 1954.
Bill started as an Assistant Office Manager and left 32 years later as the Secretary Treasurer. He helped Kodak people buy homes and he helped manage ES&L's money. Most of his career was a steady upward arc, which allowed him to buy a house of his own in 1952 and take nice Summer vacations like this one on Cape Cod in 1954.
As well as he did
and as hard as he
worked at it, Bill was much more than his career. He is a full-time
do-er and this has always worked to the benefit of any community he has
lived in.
In 1955, he had a house built in the newly developing section of the town of Brighton, where a few years later the residents were given short notice by the main School Board to create their own elementary and junior high schools. Bill was a Board member of the new district and served on its Building Committee for this large project.
In 1955, he had a house built in the newly developing section of the town of Brighton, where a few years later the residents were given short notice by the main School Board to create their own elementary and junior high schools. Bill was a Board member of the new district and served on its Building Committee for this large project.
He spent nine years
on the School
Board, two of them as President. In those years he helped
build
three new schools and bring about a full merger to create a unified
Brighton School District.
And that's not all.
He and Jean were in an Investment Club
They co-founded the Rochester Curling Club and built a facility which housed four shet of ice
He and Jean were in a Bridge Club
He was fly tie-er and went off on fishing trips with his friends
He was a weaver and owned several looms
And that's not all.
He and Jean were in an Investment Club
They co-founded the Rochester Curling Club and built a facility which housed four shet of ice
He and Jean were in a Bridge Club
He was fly tie-er and went off on fishing trips with his friends
He was a weaver and owned several looms
