Frederick M. Nicholas, champion of L.A. arts dubbed 'Mr. Downtown Culture,' dies at 105

Frederick M. Nicholas, a warfare hero, lawyer and existent property developer who shaped respective of Los Angeles’ large arts and nationalist work institutions, died peacefully astatine his location Saturday. He was 105.

Nicholas led the plan and improvement of large L.A. landmarks, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Surprisingly enough, Nicholas discovered his emotion of the arts successful instrumentality schoolhouse astatine the University of Chicago. “When I went downtown, I saw an creation assemblage for the archetypal time,” helium said successful a 2022 YouTube interrogation with Blake Meidel, a young movie creator. “I went wrong and I looked astatine it and I was overwhelmed.”

When helium returned to L.A., wherever helium had studied journalism astatine USC, Nicholas took classes successful the ocular arts and built a instrumentality signifier that included practice of artists and galleries. He took connected respective distinguished roles successful the arts community, serving arsenic MOCA’s president and vice president for a cumulative 11 years and a beingness trustee for the remainder of his life. Nicholas was instrumental to the improvement of the Geffen Contemporary astatine MOCA and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

It is small wonderment that helium was nicknamed “Mr. Downtown Culture.” In the 1980s, Nicholas led the metropolis retired of a taste stasis and turned it into a planetary taste and architectural powerhouse.

“Fred, we virtually wouldn’t beryllium L.A. without you,” erstwhile politician Eric Garcetti said successful a connection to Nicholas connected his 100th birthday.

Renowned designer Frank Gehry told The Times that Nicholas’ engagement successful MOCA “was excessively bully to beryllium true.”

“He is an highly astute man, and he’s sensitive. He’s been progressive successful and funny successful the arts arsenic a collector,” Gehry said successful 1982. “He understands some the architecture and concern of development. He knows each the players progressive with the museum, and helium has their respect. When I heard helium was progressive I thought it was excessively bully to beryllium true. I cognize helium tin propulsion it off.”

Nicholas negotiated with Giuseppe Panza of Varese, Italy, to get the Panza Collection. Including works from Mark Rothko, Franz Kline and others, the creation present forms the halfway of MOCA’s imperishable collection.

As seat of the Walt Disney Hall Concert Committee opening successful 1987, Nicholas headed a committee to find an designer (Gehry was yet hired for the coveted gig), fundraise and program the gathering process.

Over 105 years, Nicholas engaged with immoderate of history’s top artists. “I met Pablo Picasso and I had meal with him,” helium told Meidel breezily.

Nicholas’ power successful L.A. extended into the realm of nationalist work arsenic well. After an incredibly palmy instrumentality career, helium shifted to pro bono work. “I thought that lawyers should bash thing to assistance the poor,” Nicholas told Meidel. Nicholas founded Public Counsel successful 1970, which provided ineligible enactment to susceptible people, including veterans and unhoused families, successful what is present the largest steadfast of its benignant successful the U.S.

“Public Counsel truly is his top legacy,” Nicholas’ son, Anthony Nicholas, told The Times connected Tuesday. “They are inactive helping radical today.”

Nicholas was calved connected May 30, 1920 successful Brooklyn, N.Y. When helium was 14, his household moved to L.A. In 1941, Nicholas served successful the Army and was discharged 5 years later.

“One of the things that made maine palmy successful instrumentality was that I was ever successful a hurry. I was ever anxious to determination due to the fact that I felt that I had mislaid truthful overmuch clip successful the war. I had to marque it up,” Nicholas, 1 of the oldest and astir decorated WWII veterans, said successful a retrospective connected his beingness and enactment astatine property 100.

Nicholas was besides adored by his family. Anthony recalled his father’s “beaming smile,” “great, large energy” and “the emotion helium dispersed astir the world.”

Nicholas is survived by his children, Deborah, Jan and Anthony; Anthony’s woman Mona; six grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; and sister Helen Devor.