# Bird Sim Coler > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bird_Sim_Coler > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bird_Sim_Coler.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Sim_Coler > Source revision: 1341149837 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Bird Sim Coler** (October 9, 1867 [Urbana, Illinois](/source/Urbana,_Illinois) – June 12, 1941 [Brooklyn, New York](/source/Brooklyn,_New_York)) was an American stockbroker and politician. He served as the first [New York City Comptroller](/source/New_York_City_Comptroller) after the city's [1898 consolidation](/source/City_of_Greater_New_York) and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of New York in [1902](/source/1902_New_York_state_election). He narrowly lost the election to Governor [Benjamin Odell Jr.](/source/Benjamin_Odell_Jr.) ## Early and personal life Coler was born on October 9, 1868, in [Urbana, Illinois](/source/Urbana,_Illinois), the son of William N. Coler and Cordelia Sim.[1] The elder Coler established a banking house after the Civil War and brought his family to Brooklyn.[2] The younger Coler was educated at [Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute](/source/Brooklyn_Polytechnic_Institute).[2] Coler and Emily Moore, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Moore, were married on October 1, 1888. He died on June 12, 1941, in Brooklyn, and she died on August 23, 1941, in the same hospital. They had a son, Eugene Bird Coler.[3][4] ## Career Coler established himself as a [stockbroker](/source/Stockbroker) in [New York City](/source/New_York_City), became prominent in municipal and State politics, and was first [Comptroller of Greater New York](/source/New_York_City_Comptroller), from 1897 to 1901. In [1902](/source/New_York_state_election,_1902), he was the [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) nominee for [Governor of New York](/source/Governor_of_New_York), but lost to [Benjamin B. Odell Jr.](/source/Benjamin_B._Odell_Jr.), by a small plurality in spite of his enormous lead in New York City.[citation needed] In 1905, Coler was elected president of the [Borough of Brooklyn](/source/Brooklyn), on the Municipal Ownership ticket. For his four-year term, Coler appointed [Charles Frederic Adams](/source/Charles_Frederic_Adams), a [Single-Tax](/source/Single_tax) advocate who had endorsed Coler's earlier run for governor,[5] to be the Borough Secretary.[6] In [1918](/source/1918_New_York_state_election), Coler ran unsuccessfully on the Democratic ticket for [New York State Comptroller](/source/New_York_State_Comptroller). Coler was the author of *Commercialism in Politics, Two and Two Make Four, He Made Them Twain,* and other sociological works.[2] In 1927, Coler, then the commissioner for public welfare in New York City, investigated "The Santa Claus Association" of [John Duval Gluck](/source/John_Duval_Gluck). The association became embroiled in controversy as a result of dubious fundraising and accounting practices.[7] ## Legacy [Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital](/source/Coler-Goldwater_Specialty_Hospital) on [Roosevelt Island](/source/Roosevelt_Island,_New_York) bears his name.[citation needed] ## References 1. ["William N. Coler · Mapping Champaign County: The Legacy of Alexander Bowman · Champaign County Historical Archives"](https://urbanafree.omeka.net/exhibits/show/bowmanmap/1858people/wncoler). *urbanafree.omeka.net*. Retrieved 2025-01-16. 1. ["The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 13 Jun 1941, page Page 15"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/53520957/). *Newspapers.com*. Retrieved May 17, 2023. 1. ["The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 24 Aug 1941, page Page 11"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/52615280/). *Newspapers.com*. Retrieved May 17, 2023. 1. ["Campbell–Coler"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/52662435/?terms=%22Frank%2BJ.%2BCampbell%22). [Brooklyn Eagle](/source/Brooklyn_Eagle). September 21, 1942. p. 4. 1. “Controller Coler [Endorsed] for Governor by New Tax League”, in *Brooklyn Eagle*, Aug 19, 1900, page 9 1. *The Brooklyn Citizen*, Nov 14, 1905, page 2. 1. Alex Palmer (September 20, 2015). ["Meet the con artist who popularized writing to Santa Claus"](https://nypost.com/2015/09/20/meet-the-con-artist-who-popularized-writing-to-santa-claus/). *[New York Post](/source/New_York_Post)*. Retrieved May 17, 2023. ## External links - [The Political Graveyard entry](http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/colen-collingwood.html) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bird Sim Coler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Sim_Coler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Sim_Coler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.