John Arch Gurkin (September 17, 1888 – December 25, 1976) was an American electrical contractor and politician who served on the

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

city council. Born in the coastal plain region of North Carolina, 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 Joseph Thomas Deal (November 19, 1860 – March 7, 1942) was an American businessman and politician who served four terms as a U.S. Representative from Virginia from 1921 to 1929. Biography Born near Surry, Virginia, Deal attended the public ...

. 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 in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorpora ...

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

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 organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded ...

Norfolk Lodge 38 and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and was a parishioner of Christ and St. Luke's Church.

Politics

On November 28, 1929, Gurkin, an active Democrat, announced his first campaign for public office. Running as an independent 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

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 interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

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 American politicians