Westchester Residential Opportunities Founder Beilenson Dies at 85

Nick Beilenson, a civil rights activist and book publisher who was the founder of Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO), which promoted equal, affordable and accessible housing in the county, died from complications from COVID-19 on Feb. 22. He was 85.

Born on Nov. 6, 1936, and raised in Mount Vernon, Beilenson attended AB Davis High School and Andover Academy before earning his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University. He married Evelyn Loeb of New York City in 1959, and together they raised three children while living in Yonkers, New Rochelle and then White Plains.

Beilenson began his career as a corporate lawyer in New York City. Inspired by television images of the civil rights movement in the South, he set aside his legal career in 1968 and founded WRO, a nonprofit organization focused on pressuring enforcement of the federal Fair Housing Act and integrating Westchester neighborhoods.

More than 50 years later, WRO continues to promote equal, affordable and accessible housing opportunities for all residents in the county.

Those who worked with him at WRO remembered Beilenson last week as a man who was dedicated to his vision of making inroads into segregation and the lack of affordability in Westchester County.

Longtime WRO board member Gretchen Flint said Beilenson worked closely with IBM, which had moved its headquarters to the county a short time earlier. Many of its minority employees were prevented from moving into neighborhoods while others had trouble finding affordable living arrangements.

“Nick really inspired other people to get involved in his projects and it was very hard to say no to Nick, and I’m not the only person to tell you that,” Flint said. “That was one of his gifts, the enthusiasm for the work was really inspiring and that was contagious.”

Board member Alan Wolfert said he was recruited by Beilenson to serve WRO in 1991 while a real estate lawyer for IBM. Wolfert said he developed an appreciation of Beilenson’s dedication to WRO’s mission. Rather than taking the conventional path of a Harvard Law graduate, Beilenson’s passion for making life better for others in the community who were deprived of fair housing opportunities because of the color of their skin guided his energies.

“Because of Nick’s passion and determination over 50 years, WRO has successfully advocated for legislation and policy changes that changed many lives for the better,” Wolfert said. “He made this world a better (place) for many and inspired me to be a better person.”

Flint said that while WRO initially was dedicated to helping Black residents and families find housing in Westchester, that extended to other protected classes such as people with disabilities and various illnesses. At one time, some property owners wouldn’t rent or sell to people with children, she added.

Joseph DiSalvo began serving on WRO’s board close to 40 years ago and watched Beilenson help lead the organization through challenging times. Today, WRO is programmatically and fiscally sound and recognized as an influential leader for fairness in housing, he said.

“Losing Nick is like losing a parent,” DiSalvo said. “We know that his creation continues and, as such, reflects the values he instilled. Yet, as we remaining board members step forward to continue to confront unfairness in housing matters, we will miss Nick. We know we will be inspired by memories of Nick and all the good he accomplished.”

In the early 1970s, Beilenson stepped away from WRO, though he would serve as its board chair for most of his life, and formed Hecker, Sheer and Beilenson, a White Plains law firm. In 1978, he won the Democratic primary to run in the city’s mayoral race, but lost in the general election.

In 1981, he took over the family publishing business, Peter Pauper Press, which his parents established in 1929. Partnering with his wife and son, Laurence, he helped transform the struggling small company into a thriving enterprise.

In retirement, he founded the Center for Public Interest Careers at Harvard College, which creates internship and job opportunities for Harvard students in nonprofit organizations around the country. Beilenson received the White Plains Human Rights Commission Award in 2014 and the Outstanding Support of Public Service award from Harvard in 2015.

A competitive racket athlete throughout his life, Beilenson was the 70+ U.S National Hardball Squash champion in 2008. He was also an avid birder and hiker, summiting all 48 peaks of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers in the White Mountains. With Evelyn, he traveled to six continents and most of the islands of the Caribbean.

Beilenson is survived by his children, John (Wanda), Laurence (Esther) and Suzanne (Robert), and his grandchildren, Sarah, Hannah, Jacob, Jane, Tom and Carly. He was predeceased by his wife, Evelyn, last October.

Martin Wilbur

Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/