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Eugene Shirk

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Eugene Shirk
Mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania
In office
1964–1968
Preceded byJohn C. Kubacki
Succeeded byVictor Yarnell
In office
1972–1976
Preceded byVictor Yarnell
Succeeded byJoseph Kuzminski
Personal details
BornApril 14, 1901[1]
Adamstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1]
DiedFebruary 17, 1994(1994-02-17) (aged 92)
Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAnnadora (Spengler) Vesper
Alma materFranklin & Marshall College
ProfessionPolitician
Professor

Eugene Leid Shirk (April 14, 1901[1] – February 17, 1994) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania for two terms as a Republican. He was also the president of Berks Community Television, and a professor at Albright College.

Early life

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Shirk was born and raised in Adamstown, Pennsylvania.[2] He graduated from Ephrata High School in 1918.[2] His family was unable to afford to send him to college, so he worked at knitting mills in Reading to pay for tuition.[3] Shirk graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Franklin & Marshall College in 1924 and won letters in cross country his junior and senior seasons.[3][4] He also pursued graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania.[5]

Educator

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After graduating, Shirk spent eighteen years as a math teacher and physical director at Birdsboro High School.[3] He coached Birdsboro's track team to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class B title in 1937. He also led the school's baseball team to five division titles and one of his players, Randy Gumpert, was signed to a major league contract.[4] In 1938, he became Birdsboro's principal while continuing to coach.[2]

In 1942, Shirk became a mathematics instructor and athletic director at Albright College. However, before he could begin his duties, he was drafted into the United States Army Air Corps, where he served as a physical training instructor and weather forecaster during World War II.[3] He was discharged in 1945 and returned to Albright.[2] Shirk was also a vice president of the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletics Association, now called the Middle Atlantic Conferences.[5]

Mayor

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On February 21, 1963, Shirk announced his campaign for mayor of Reading.[6] He defeated insurance salesman George F. Graeff 4,217 votes to 1,111 to win the Republican nomination.[7] As a 62-year-old who had never run for office before and a Republican running in a city where the Democrats outnumbered them by a 3 to 1 margin, Shirk was an underdog in the general election.[8] However, the city had been the site of multiple federal raids and its incumbent Democratic mayor, John C. Kubacki, was under indictment for extortion.[8] Shirk upset Democrat Harold L. Guldin and Republicans won every office except for city treasurer.[5]

After taking office, Shirk replaced the city's police chief (who was also under indictment) and launched a crackdown on gambling and prostitution.[8] This included an unpopular decision to shut down bingo, which was illegal in Pennsylvania.[9] In 1967, he was defeated for reelection by Victor Yarnell.[2]

While serving as mayor, Shirk continued to work as Albright's athletic director on a parttime basis. He was associate athletic director during the 1967–68 academic year then served as an advisor to the president.[2][10]

In 1968, Shirk was an unsuccessful candidate for the 126th district seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.[2] In 1971, he defeated city councilor Joseph Kuzminski by 827 votes to return to the mayor's office.[11] He did not run for reelection in 1975 and instead was an unsuccessful candidate for the Berks County Commission.[2]

Later life

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After leaving office, Shink returned to Albright to coach the cross country team, a position he held until his death. At 92 years old, he was the oldest active coach in college sports.[12]

In 1976, Shink helped found Berks Community Television and served as its president until his death.[3] In 1981, Albright's athletic field was renamed in honor of Shirk.[13]

Shirk was married to Annadora (Spengler) Vesper, a professor of English and speech at Albright who served on the Reading School Board from 1951 to 1957.[14][15] The couple had a daughter, Thea, as well a son, Al, from Annadora's previous marriage.[3]

On February 17, 1994, Eugene and Annadora were killed in automobile accident in Reading.[12] The two were on their way to Albright College, where they were starring in a performance of Love Letters.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Hudson, Wally (1974-04-14). "Reading's Mayor Shirk Marks 73rd Birthday". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Shirk's accomplishments spanned the 20th century". Reading Eagle. February 16, 1994. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Paone, Carmen (April 9, 1991). "Man of the Ages". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Firing May Get Shrink Job". Reading Eagle. March 11, 1942. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Shirk Beats Guldin's Bid For Mayor". Reading Eagle. 1963-11-06. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  6. ^ "Shirk Launches Campaign For Mayoralty Nomination". Reading Eagle. February 22, 1963. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Shirk Defeated Graeff by 3,106". Reading Eagle. June 5, 1963. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Buckley, Thomas (November 25, 1963). "Reading, PA., Gets A Reform Regime". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Carroll, Maurice (May 15, 1967). "A Picture of Reading: A Reformed Pennsylvania City With Racketeers Just 'Waiting in the Wings'". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Lions Elevate Renken To Athletic Director". Reading Eagle. July 9, 1967. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  11. ^ Rothman, Irvin (November 5, 1971). "In and Out of Politics". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  12. ^ a b Carey, Jack (February 18, 1994). "Shirk Dies". USA Today.
  13. ^ Trask, Mike (February 18, 2005). "Old stadium to be renovated". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  14. ^ "GOP Captures Three Posts on School Board". Reading Eagle. November 7, 1952. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Mrs. Leinbach to Attend Wednesday Board Session". Reading Eagle. September 15, 1963. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
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