John Arch Gurkin (September 17, 1888 – December 25, 1976) was an American

electrical contractor An electrical contractor is a business person or business entity, firm that performs specialized construction work related to the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems. An electrical contractor is different from an electricia ...

and politician who served on the

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

city council. Born in the coastal plain region of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, he moved to Norfolk at the age of 16 to enter the electrical business, establishing his own successful firm two years later. He was active in business and civic circles. After running an unsuccessful campaign for the council in 1930, Gurkin was elected in 1932 with the support of former Congressman Joseph T. Deal. He won reelection four years later, and, in 1938, he succeeded in displacing

W. R. L. Taylor Walton Robert Lawson Taylor (December 28, 1886 – March 22, 1941) was an American attorney and politician who served on the Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. ...

as president of the council and mayor of the city.

Early life and family

Childhood and education

Gurkin was born on September 17, 1888, in Dardens, North Carolina as one of six children of Mary Elwood (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

McCaskey; 1850–1915) and Warren William Gurkin (1853–1898). He attended Hampton Academy in Washington County.

Marriage and children

On July 17, 1907, Gurkin married the former Pearl Bell Vail. They had three children: Agnes ( 1910), Louise ( 1911), and John Jr. ( 1918).

Career

Business and civic life

Gurkin moved to

at the age of 16 and founded his electrical contracting firm, the John A. Gurkin Electrical Company, two years later. He was a member of

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an Act of Co ...

Norfolk Lodge 38 and the

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), commonly known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks, is an American fraternal order and charitable organization founded in 1868 in New York City. Originally established as a social club for m ...

and was a parishioner of Christ and St. Luke's Church.

Politics

On November 28, 1929, Gurkin, an active

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, announced his first campaign for public office. Running as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

candidate in the following June's city council election, he was viewed as friendly to the existing city government but declined to form any political alliances. Despite predictions that he would win a seat on the council, he placed in seventh among the eight candidates. Undeterred after his loss, Gurkin mounted another campaign in 1932, this time alongside Dr. Albert E. Wilson. Running on an anti-administration platform, the two alleged extravagant spending and improper campaign financing on the part of the incumbent councilors. Gurkin and Wilson garnered the support of former Congressman Joseph T. Deal and were elected by respective margins of 1,768 and 1,828 out of 8,723 votes cast. Gurkin won reelection four years later on a ticket with James W. Reed that had the support of most of the city's Democratic organization. Halfway through this term, in 1938, he cast a tie-breaking vote for himself, displacing

as president of the council and mayor of the city. He did not win reelection in 1940.

Later life and death

Gurkin died on December 25, 1976, in Norfolk. He was interred in the family

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

at Forest Lawn Cemetery, alongside his wife, who preceded him in death approximately four years earlier. The family home at 707 Baldwin Avenue in Norfolk's North Ghent neighborhood, which Gurkin built in 1920 and lived in until his death, still stands today.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurkin, John A. 1888 births 1976 deaths Mayors of Norfolk, Virginia 20th-century mayors of places in Virginia