Volker, Julius, 1903-

Julius Volker was born in 1903 in Lancaster, New York. He received a bachelor of arts from Canisius College in 1924 and a bachelor of laws degree from Buffalo Law School in 1927. Volker was commissioned to the New York State Bar later that year. In 1931 he married his wife Loretta and together they raised two sons. From 1934-1935 Volker served as a councilman for the town of Lancaster and was its justice of the peace from 1936-1939. Volker then served as town attorney from 1940-1941 and again in 1946. With other local leaders and supporters, Volker helped to create the Lancaster Town Police Ambulance Service in 1953, the first volunteer ambulance service in Western New York and the first to be operated by and within a police department in the state. In 1945, voters elected Volker to the New York State Assembly as the Republican representative from Erie County 7th district and he remained in that position until 1965. In 1966 Volker served an additional year in the New York State Assembly as the Republican representative from Erie County 162nd district. During his tenure in the New York State Assembly Volker was chairman of the Committee on Codes and chairman of the Committee on Aviation and Insurance. He maintained a law practice in Buffalo following his retirement from the Assembly and passed away approximately ten years later. One of Julius Volker's sons, Dale Volker, was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1972, became a New York State Senator three years later, and announced his retirement from the Senate in 2010.