VANCE FUNK III
Vance Funk III was born in Philadelphia in 1942 and moved to Newark with his family in 1959, during his senior year of high school. He graduated from the University of Delaware and went on to obtain a law degree. In the 1970s he was the city judge of Newark. Currently he is serving his second term as Mayor of Newark.
Segments from the videotaped interview:
What was your impression of Newark when you first moved there?
Newark was a very closed society [in 1959]. They had a lot of social clubs for Newark High School students, and [since I went to] Salesianum [in Wilmington], I wasn't allowed in. So I didn't really become a part of the Newark fabric. I became a part of the University fabric because that's where I started in 1960.
What was your experience like as a University of Delaware student?
I worked at the athletic department at the University of Delaware when I started school there, and I worked there throughout my college career. The university became very important to me because they raised me and helped me get into law school. I have a very deep commitment to the university.
How different was student life when you were at UD?
It was different. We had coffee houses--the Wesley House on Orchard Road was a coffee house. I was president of the Neuman Club for two years. To raise money, once a month we would have a dance with a band at the student center.
Source of Information:
Funk, Vance III. Transcript of videotaped interview on April 16, 2009 by Veness and students in Geography 315 (Spring 2009).
Additional material:
City of Newark web site: http://www.cityofnewarkde.us
