Austin Nicholas Volk (December 28, 1918 – September 18, 2010) was an American businessman and politician from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
New Jersey State Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
for two terms during his political career.
Biography
Early life
Volk was born at
Englewood Hospital
Englewood Hospital is an acute care 294-bed teaching hospital in Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. In spring 2024, the medical center received an 'A' Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group patient safety organization.
...
in
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of Engle ...
on December 28, 1918, to Nicholas and Helen Volk. He graduated from
Dwight Morrow High School
Dwight Morrow High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Englewood, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Englewood Public School District. The school also serves students from ...
in Englewood in 1937.
Volk graduated from
Brown University
Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
, where he became a
cadet
A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...
in the U.S. Naval Reserve Officer Training Program and a
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest Fraternities and sororities, fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active Colony (fraternity or sorority), colonies across No ...
member. Volk served in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
during both
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, reaching the rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. During World War II, Volk participated at the
Battle of Guadalcanal
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific Theater of W ...
in the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
as the
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
of a
landing craft
Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. ...
. Volk is credited with discovering the Brown Bear River in the Solomon Islands and naming it after Brown University during the war.
Volk returned to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
following the end of World War II. He began working at Nicholas Volk and Co., his family's
insurance
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...
office in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
He remained a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. Volk became a logistical support team commander during the Korean War. He once again returned to his family's insurance business after the Korean War. He would later retire from the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
in 1965, having reached the rank of captain.
Volk owned an insurance business and was mayor of Englewood, New Jersey from 1960 to 1963 and 1966 to 1970. He later served two terms in the
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
.
Political career
Volk was elected to two nonconsecutive terms as mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, during the 1960s. He served his first term from 1960 until 1963. The city of Englewood was ordered to
desegregate
Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws ...
its public school system during his first term. He was elected to a second, nonconsecutive term in 1965, taking office in January 1965.
The
1967 Newark riots
The 1967 Newark riots were an episode of violent, armed conflict in the streets of Newark, New Jersey. Taking place over a four-day period (between July 12 and July 17, 1967), the Newark riots resulted in at least 26 deaths and hundreds more s ...
, which lasted from July 12–17, 1967, broke out in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
, which is located south of Englewood. On July 21, days after the end of Newark's violence, unrest broke out in Englewood's 4th Ward, a predominantly
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
section of Englewood. African Americans had complained of substandard, slum housing and police neglect in the otherwise affluent city. The Englewood unrest, which lasted for five days. included instances of rock throwing, broken windows and one example of gunfire. Several police officers and residents were injured. At one stage of the troubles, he used a helicopter to direct the police.
Volk, who was 17 months into his second term at the time of the unrest, agreed to meet with African American leaders and ministers to discuss their grievances during the Englewood riots. He vowed to demolish slum properties in the 4th Ward and increase career prospects for residents. Volk also condemned the violence in Englewood committed by some rioters.
At one point during the unrest, Volk wore his Navy uniform as he walked down Palisade Avenue in the 4th Ward with Englewood police and fire fighters. Volk felt that walking with the police and fire fighters would project stability and the need to negotiate the end to the riots. After the riots he appointed a community relations committee to help defuse racial tensions by integrating classes in five elementary schools. However, his actions and use of the police were questioned by some African American leaders. Arnold Brown, who was serving as the first African American state assemblyman from
New Jersey State Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
in 1970 representing the 37th Legislative District. He served two terms in the Assembly. Volk retired from the
insurance industry
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...
in the late 2000s.
Later life
Volk married the former Rae P. Glidden in 1979. Glidden was the widow of John C. Glidden, who had served as the president of the Englewood City Council. The couple remained together until her death in 2009.
Austin Volk died at his home in
Southampton, New York
Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stre ...
, on September 18, 2010, at the age of 91. He had been a longtime summer resident of Southampton. He was buried at Brookside Cemetery in Englewood.