Albert S. Bard (December 19, 1866 – March 25, 1963) was an American lawyer and civic activist in New York City. A graduate of
Amherst College
Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...
and
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
, he engaged in the practice of corporation and general law until a few years before his death.
Never married, Bard was an energetic participant in civic and urban affairs. Bard exercised his influence through his work on committees of the Bar Association of New York City, the
Citizens Union
Citizens Union is a New York City-based good government group founded in 1897 to combat the influences of the Tammany Hall political machine. J. Pierpont Morgan, Benjamin Altman, Elihu Root, and Carl Schurz numbered among its 165 founders. In 198 ...
, and the
City Club of New York
The City Club of New York is a New York City–based independent, not-for-profit organization.
In 1950, ''The New York Times'' called the City Club of New York "a social club with a civic purpose"New York Young Republican Club
The New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) is an organization for members of the Republican Party between the ages of 18 and 40 in New York City. The New York Young Republican Club is the oldest and largest chapter in the United States, founded ...
.
Preservationist
Bard had a particular interest in the protection of city streets and rural landscapes from the broadening of advertisements and billboards. From 1912-1914 Bard served as secretary and legal counsel to the Mayor's Billboard Advertising Commission and was the author of its final report. On a national scale, Bard took on corporations such as Standard Oil and lobbies including the Outdoor Advertising Association of America as legal counsel to the National Roadside Council from 1924 - 1955. The Council lobbied for the regulation of outdoor advertising, and, in the absence of legislation, putting consumer pressure on corporations to reduce offensive advertising.
Bard Act
Bard is most noted for the passage of the Bard Act, the piece of legislation that enabled the creation of the New York City Landmarks Law in 1965.
As a preservationist, he opposed many of
Robert Moses
Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid 20th century. Despite never being elected to any office, Moses is regarded ...
' plans for the development of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He successfully organized opposition to the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge project and was instrumental in the preservation of
Castle Clinton
Castle Clinton (also known as Fort Clinton and Castle Garden) is a circular sandstone fort within Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1808 to 1811, it was the first American immigration station, predating ...
. In 1954, Bard drafted an act which was designed to enable cities in New York State to pass laws to protect their landmarks. The Bard Act was the piece of the legislative puzzle that was missing in order for New York City to pass landmark protection legislation. On April 2, 1956, the Bard Act was passed into a law.
Election reformer
Working for the Honest Ballot Association, the Citizens' Union and the City Club he was engaged in improving the election law and fighting the widespread election fraud in New York City and in the United States. Together with other reformers like William Mills Ivins, Sr. Bard sued several state and city officers and brought to court many citizens because of violating the "purity of the polls".
Albert S. Bard Awards and Honors
The
Albert S. Bard Award
The City Club of New York is a New York City–based independent, not-for-profit organization.
In 1950, ''The New York Times'' called the City Club of New York "a social club with a civic purpose"City Club of New York
The City Club of New York is a New York City–based independent, not-for-profit organization.
In 1950, ''The New York Times'' called the City Club of New York "a social club with a civic purpose"