Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff was an American born Georgian aristocrat and the New York City highway commissioner during the administrations of John V. Lindsay.
Background
Constantine was born in New York City into the house of Sidamon-Eristavi, claiming descent from the medieval kings of Alania. He was the son of Prince Simon Sidamon-Eristoff, a Georgian military officer, who emigrated to the United States after the Bolsheviks invaded Georgia in 1921 and Anne Tracy, a descendant of John Bigelow, an American diplomat in the mid-19th century.
Education
Princeton University (Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Geological Engineering, 1952). Columbia University (Bachelor of Laws, 1957).
Career
Worked at Patterson, Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP (New York, NY) specializing in Environmental Zoning and Planning, Land Use, Administrative Law. Admitted to the bar, 1958, New York. 1961, United States. District Court, Southern District of New York.
Phi Delta Phi. Vice-Chairman and Member, Village Planning Commission, Village of Highland Falls, New York, 1963-1968. Member, Village of Highland Falls Zoning Commission, 1963-1968. Assistant to Mayor John V. Lindsay, City of New York, 1966-1967.
Commissioner of Highways, City of New York, 1967-1969. Administrator, Transportation Administration, City of New York, 1969-1973. Partner, Sidamon-Eristoff, Morrison, Warren & Ecker, 1978-1983.
Counsel, Morrison & DeRoos, 1984-1988. Private practice, New York City, 1988-1989. Member, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, State of New York, 1974-1989.
Regional Administrator, Region II, United States. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989-1993. Trustee, Phipps Houses, 1974, Chairman, 1986.
Director, Tolstoy Foundation, 1975, Chairman, 1979-1989. 1994. Commissioner, New York State Judicial Commission on Minorities, 1987-1991. Member, Governor's Council on the Hudson Valley Greenway, 1989.
Trustee, Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1967-1992. Member: The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Committee on Transportation). New York State (Member, Environmental Section) and American Bar Associations.
New York County Lawyers Association. American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers.
Membership
Trustee Allaverdy Foundation, New York City, since 1962, American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece, 1973-1979, Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1967-1992, Millbrook (New York) School, 1971-1989, honorary trustee, since 1989, Orange County (New York) Citizens Foundation, 1974-1981, American the Beautiful Fund, Washington, 1985-1997. Board directors Caramoor Center for Music and Arts, Katonah, New York, 1961-1980, Tolstoy Foundation, Inc., New York City, since 1975, chairman, 1979-1989, 94-, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, New York, since 1994. Member Orange County (New York) Planning Board, since 1997.
Board directors, member Executive Committee Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress, Poughkeepsie, New York, 1975-1989, chairman, 1981-1985. Board directors Council onMcpl. Performance, New York City, 1979-1987, chairman, 1979-1983, vice chairman, 1986, 87, New York State Republican committeeman, 1980-1989.
Served to 1st lt.arty. Army of the United States, 1952-1954, Korea. Member American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Association of Bar of City of New York, New York County Lawyers Association, Kent Moot Court, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Engineers, Phi Delta Phi, Delta Psi.
Connections
Married Anne Phipps, June 29, 1957. Children: Simon, Elizabeth, Andrew.
Decorated Bronze Star. Recipient Honor award Kings County chapter New York State Society Professional Engineers, 1969, Honor award Greater New York county Girl Scouts United States, 1973, Board Leadership award Council Municipal Performance, 1984, Transportation Man of Year award Greater New York March of Dimes, 1985, Award of Excellence Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress, 1990, Honor award National.and New York Parks and Conservation Association, 1992, Bronze medal United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1993, Civic Leadership award (with wife) Citizens Union, 1997.
Decorated Bronze Star. Recipient Honor award Kings County chapter New York State Society Professional Engineers, 1969, Honor award Greater New York county Girl Scouts United States, 1973, Board Leadership award Council Municipal Performance, 1984, Transportation Man of Year award Greater New York March of Dimes, 1985, Award of Excellence Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress, 1990, Honor award National.and New York Parks and Conservation Association, 1992, Bronze medal United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1993, Civic Leadership award (with wife) Citizens Union, 1997.