Nicholas F. Beck

Nicholas F. Beck (2 November 1796 – 30 June 1830) was an American attorney and military officer from New York. A native of Schenectady and an 1813 graduate of Union College, he practiced law in Schenectady and served as city clerk. A Democratic-Republican, he was a supporter of Governor DeWitt Clinton and was active in the militia. In 1818, Clinton appointed him judge advocate of the militia's 14th Brigade with the rank of colonel. In 1825, Clinton appointed Beck Adjutant General of New York with the rank of brigadier general, a position in which he served until his death.

Biography Nicholas Fairly Beck was born in Schenectady, New York on 2 November 1796, a son of Caleb Beck and Catherine Theresa (Romeyn) Beck. Among his siblings were Theodric Romeyn Beck, John Brodhead Beck, and Lewis Caleb Beck. In 1816, Union College upgraded Beck's degree to Master of Arts. After college, he studied law, attained admission to the bar in 1817, and practiced in Schenectady. Active in politics as a Democratic-Republican, he served as Schenectady's city clerk from 1819 to 1826. He also became active in the New York Militia, and in 1818 Governor DeWitt Clinton appointed him judge advocate of the 14th Brigade (Schenectady County) with the rank of colonel.

In 1825, Charles G. Haines died while serving as Adjutant General of New York. Clinton, returned to the governorship after two years out of office, appointed Beck to succeed Haines, and Beck received promotion to brigadier general. After his promotion, Beck moved to Albany, the state capital. In 1827, Beck married Anna Maria Walton; they were the parents of two sons, Reverend John Walton Romeyn Beck (1828–1889) and Charles Thatcher Beck (1830–1831). John W. R. Beck was the father of Nicolas Dubois Dominic Beck, a Canadian prosecutor, judge and college administrator.

In 1828, Beck was appointed to the board of trustees of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and he served until his death. He was succeeded by his law partner, Matthew H. Webster. In 1879, most burials at that location, including Beck's, were moved to Vale Cemetery.