Austin Nicholas Volk (December 28, 1918 – September 18, 2010) was an American businessman and politician from New Jersey. A member of the Republican Party, Volk served as the Mayor of Englewood, and in the New Jersey State Assembly for two terms during his political career. Biography Early life Volk was born at Englewood Hospital in Englewood, New Jersey on December 28, 1918, to Nicholas and Helen Volk. He graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood in 1937. Volk graduated from Brown University, where he became a cadet in the U.S. Naval Reserve Officer Training Program and a Delta Kappa Epsilon member. Volk served in the United States Navy during both World War II and the Korean War, reaching the rank of captain. During World War II, Volk participated at the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands as the commanding officer of a landing craft. 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 following the end of World War II. He began working at Nicholas Volk and Co., his family's insurance office in New York City. 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 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. 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 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, which lasted from July 12–17, 1967, broke out in Newark, New Jersey, 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 section of Englewood. African Americans had complained of substandard, slum housing