A
Democrat, in 1974 he was elected to the New York State Senate from the 42nd District. A longtime civic activist, Nolan served on the Board of Trustees for St. Peter’s Hospital. He also served on the board of directors of the
State of New York Mortgage Agency, the Community Foundation for the Capital Region, and WMHT (TV). Nolan was chairman of the board of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the Center for the Disability Services, and was a member of the
Marine Corps League, the
Knights of Columbus, the
Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the Albany Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he maintained an interest in horse racing, was the owner of several thoroughbreds, and served as president of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. and chairman of Breeders' Cup Ltd. One Nolan initiative while in the senate combined his interest in criminal justice policy with his background in horse racing; In conjunction with the
New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, he created the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in
Wallkill, which provides sanctuary for retired racehorses and the opportunity for inmates to build life skills by participating in a vocational training program. ==Retirement and death==