Stanley Irwin Pollak (1910 – 2000)

Stanley Pollak, date unknown

Stanley Irwin Pollak was born June 15, 1910, in Newark, New Jersey.

Stanley Irwin Pollak was born in Newark, New Jersey on June 15, 1910. He graduated from NYU’s School of Commerce in 1935 and married Berenice Newmeyer in 1938. He worked as a certified public accountant, residing primarily in Jamaica Estates, Queens, NY, before moving to Framingham, Massachusetts and Lake Worth, Florida. He registered for the WWII draft and served in the war stateside. Hewas active in his community, contributing letters to the Palm Beach Post. Stanley passed away in 2000 and is interred at the Star of David Cemetery in West Palm Beach, Florida.

1915 New Jersey State Census

In 1915, 5-year-old Stanley (born January 1911) lived with his parents, Oscar, 37 (born August 1877), and Gilda Pollak, 32 (born October 1882), and his 8-year-old brother, Mervin (recorded Milton, born October 1907). They also had a live-in servant from Austria, Elizabeth Leonard, who was 16. Stanley’s name was listed as “Stanly John,” although no subsequent records include this middle name. They lived at 29 Farley Avenue, Newark, New Jersey. Oscar was a Jeweler, Gilda a Housewife, and Mervin and Stanley were scholars at Avon Avenue Elementary School. Oscar was born in Connecticut to parents from Austria, Gilda was born in New Jersey to parents from Germany, and both children were born in New Jersey.1

29 Farley Avenue, Newark, New Jersey

29 Farley Avenue was built in 1905 and is now a multifamily home containing 3-4 bedroom apartments.2

Avon Avenue Elementary School – Then and Now

Avon Avenue Elementary School in 1910. Photo Credit: Newark Board of Education.3

1920 United States Census

In 1920, 9-year-old Stanley lived with his parents, Oscar, 43, and Gilda Pollak, 38, and his 12-year-old brother, Mervin in a rented home at 2 Farley Avenue, Newark, New Jersey. Oscar was a self-employed storekeeper at a jewelry store. Oscar was born in Connecticut to parents from Austria who spoke German. Gilda was born in New Jersey to parents from Germany who spoke German.4

2 Farley Avenue, Newark, New Jersey

2-4 Farley Avenue was built in 1907 as a multifamily home.5

Left to Right: Jacob Hollander, Howard Hollander, Belle Reiss Hollander, Gilda Reiss Pollak, Stanley Pollak (front), Oscar Pollak (back), and Mervin Pollak. Belle is Gilda’s younger sister.

1930 United States Census

In 1930, Stanley, 19, lived with his parents, Oscar, 54, and Gilda Pollak, 48, and his brother, Mervin, 22 in a house they owned at 108-18 167th Street, Jamaica, Queens, New York worth $25,000. Oscar owned a jewelry store with his brother-in-law, Howard Hollander, who lived next door in a house that has now been replaced with an apartment building. Both Mervin and Stanley attended school. They owned a radio.6

108-18 167th Street, Jamaica, Queens, New York

The house currently at 108-18 167th Street in Jamaica was built in 1945 and is not the same home that Stanley lived in.7

The Great Depression

Stanley grew up during the Great Depression, which profoundly affected American society. As a young adult, he navigated the economic challenges of this era, which likely influenced his decision to pursue a stable career in accounting.

1935 College Graduation

Stanley graduated from the School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance (now Stern School of Business) at New York University, on June 12, 1935. He received a Bachelor of Commercial Science degree.8

1938 Marriage to Berenice Newmeyer

Stanley married Berenice Newmeyer, of Philadelphia, in May 1938. They were married in Philadelphia. Stanley was an accountant and Berenice was a bookkeeper. Stanley was living with his parents at 8715 167th Street, Jamaica, New York. His father, Oscar, born in Connecticut, was a salesman, and his mother, Gilda, born in New Jersey, was a housewife.9

Berenice Newmeyer and Stanley Pollak

8715 167th Street, Jamaica, New York

8715 167th Street, Jamaica, Queens, New York was built in 1925 and has two units.10

1940 United States Census

In 1940, Stanley, 29, lived with his wife, Berenice Pollak, 28, in apartment 6 at the Kew Arlington Court Apartments at 119-20 Union Turnpike in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, New York which they rented for $45 per month. Stanley was a Certified Public Accountant and Berenice was a Housewife. Stanley worked 44 hours per week and worked 52 weeks per year, earning $2,300. In 1935, Stanley, who was born in New Jersey, had lived in Newark, New Jersey, and Berenice, who was born in Pennsylvania, had lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Stanley had completed five years of college and Berenice had completed four years of high school.11

Kew Arlington Court Apartments, 119-120 Union Turnpike, Jamaica, Queens, New York

Kew Arlington Court Apartments, 1930 and 2006.12

World War II Draft Registration: October 16, 1940

When Stanley (listed Stanley Irwin Pollak) signed up for the WWII Draft, he was 30 and lived at 88-24 166th Street (now Merrick Boulevard), Jamaica, Queens, New York. His next-of-kin was his wife, Berenice Pollak, who lived in the same place. He worked at S.D. Leidesdorf & Co. (now Ernst & Young), 125 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City. He was described as 5’8, 125lbs, white with brown hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion.13

88-24 Merrick Boulevard (formerly 166th Street), Jamaica, Queens, New York

125 Park Avenue, New York, New York

Stanley worked at 125 Park Avenue between 1940 and 1960, and likely longer than that.14

Post-War Economic Boom

The post-WWII period saw significant economic growth and prosperity in the United States. Although he tried to work for the CIA, he was unable to obtain a position, most likely due to discrimination against Jews. However, Stanley’s career as a CPA benefited from the economic boom, as businesses expanded and the need for accounting services grew.

1950 United States Census

In 1950, Stanley, 39, lived with his wife, Berenice Pollak, 38, children, Gail C., 9, and Jeffrey D., 3, and his parents, Oscar N., 75, and Gilda, 68, at 176-37 80th Avenue, Jamaica, Queens, New York. Stanley was a public accountant and Oscar was a salesman of jewelry and credit. Stanley and Gilda were born in New Jersey, Berenice was born in Pennsylvania, Oscar was born in Connecticut, and Gail and Jeffrey were born in New York. Oscar’s parents were born in Austria, he had completed the 7th grade, he worked 52 weeks per year, made $3,600 in that year, and other than his income, the family income was $10,000 per year.15

176-37 80th Avenue, Jamaica, Queens, New York

176-37 80th Drive, Jamaica, New York was built and designed by Stanley Pollak in 1940, although it has been through remodeling since he sold the residence in the late 1970s.16

Migration to Florida

In his later years, like many retirees, Stanley moved to Florida, seeking a warmer climate and possibly a more relaxed lifestyle on the golf course. This migration reflects broader demographic trends in post-war America, where many Northerners moved South for retirement.

Home: 3661 Via Poinciana, Lake Worth, Florida

Stanley lived here from at least 1992 until he died in 2000.

Letters to the Editor

On October 11, 1989, and October 20, 1990, Stanley’s letters were published in the Palm Beach Post. Here, Stanley shares his opinions on seniors, Medicare, taxes, and our former concurrent president, George H.W. Bush.

The Palm Beach Post, October 11, 1989.17
The Palm Beach Post, October 20, 1990.18

Death of Stanley Irwin Pollak – December 15, 2000

Stanley passed away December 15, 2000, in Lake Worth, Florida, two weeks before the end of the 20th Century. He is interred at the Star of David Cemetery, West Palm Beach, Florida.19

Sources

  1. 1915 New Jersey Census, Essex County, population schedule, Newark, ward 16, enumeration district (ED) 4, p. 3A, dwelling 29, family 62, Stanly John Pollak, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021), citing New Jersey State Archive, Trenton, NJ, publication L-05, microfilm 23. ↩︎
  2. “29 Farley Ave,, Newark, NJ 07108,” realtor.com (https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/29-Farley-Ave_Newark_NJ_07108_M65578-46267 : accessed 10 June 2024). ↩︎
  3. “Avon Avenue School,” Newark Board of Education (https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/avn/our-school/ : accessed 10 June 2024). ↩︎
  4. 1920 U.S. Census, Essex County, New Jersey, population schedule, Newark C, district 17, enumeration district (ED) 291, p. 67 (stamped), 3A (penned), dwelling 23, family 51, Stanley I Pollak, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1038. ↩︎
  5. “2-4 Farley Ave, Newark, NJ 07108,” NJPropertyRecords, LLC (https://njpropertyrecords.com/property/0714_2656_1 : accessed 11 June 2024). ↩︎
  6. 1930 U.S. census, Queens County, New York, population schedule, Jamaica, enumeration district (ED) 41-319, p. 63 (stamped), 6A (penned), dwelling 73, family 87, Stanley I Pollak, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1597, microfilm 127.0. ↩︎
  7. “108-18 167th Street, Jamaica, NY 11433,” Property Shark (https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/560966/108-18-167-St-Queens-NY-11433/ accessed 11 June 2024). ↩︎
  8. “N.Y.U. Presents Scrolls to 4000; Honors Campbell,” Times Union, Brooklyn, NY, 12 June 1935, p. 7. cols. 1-4, image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union/58032373/ : accessed 25 August 2020), clip page by user genistory. ↩︎
  9. “Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZW-RY7J : accessed 15 June 2021), Entry for Stanley I Pollak and Berenice Newmeyer, June 1938. ↩︎
  10. “87-15 167th Street, Jamaica, NY 11432,” Property Shark (https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/554977/87-15-167-St-Queens-NY-11432/ : accessed 11 June 2024). ↩︎
  11. 1940 U.S. Census, Queens County, New York, population schedule, Kew Gardens, enumeration district (ED) 41-1757-B, p. 2A, household 6, Stanley I. Pollak, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 2753; Queens, New York City Telephone Directory, Winter 1939-40, (New York: New York Telephone Company, 1939), p. 388, image, The New York Public Library (https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/b3166780-9a59-0135-5aa4-4b37289ee5a4 : accessed 14 July 2021). ↩︎
  12. “The Kew Arlington Court Apartments on Union Turnpike in Kew Gardens, NY as it appears today [2006],” A Picture History of Kew Gardens, NY (https://www.oldkewgardens.com/index/guestbook0612-OL.html : accessed 15 June 2021). ↩︎
  13. “World War II Draft Registration Cards for Young Men, 1940-1947,” images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021), Stanley Irwin Pollak, registration, serial no. 2542, order no. 1039, local board no. 625, Jamaica, New York, citing U.S. WWII Draft Registration Cards for Young Men, 1940-1947, NARA microfilm publication DSS-1, no specific roll cited. ↩︎
  14. Unspecified Manhattan City Directory 1953, (unspecified city: unspecified publisher, 1953), p. 1322, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021); Manhattan New York City Area Code 212 Telephone Directory 1959-1960, (New York, NY: New York Telephone Company, 1959), p. 1256, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021); Unspecified Manhattan City Directory 1960, (unspecified city: unspecified publisher, 1960), p. 1280, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2021). ↩︎
  15. 1950 U.S. Census, Queens County, New York, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 41-1455, p. 6, dwelling 52, Stanley I. Pollak, image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2024); citing NARA publication P1. ↩︎
  16. “176-37 80th Drive, Jamaica, NY 11432,” Property Shark https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/504018/176-37-80-Dr-Queens-NY-11432/ : accessed 11 June 2024). ↩︎
  17. Stanley I. Pollak, “Letters To The Editor: Seniors have extra reason to oppose care plan – cost,” The Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach, FL, 11 October 1989, p. 2E. cols. 4-5, image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post/58028772/ : accessed 25 August 2020), clip page by user genistory. ↩︎
  18. Stanley I. Pollak, “Letters To The Editor: Tax rates don’t affect Bush,” The Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach, FL, 20 October 1990, p. 2E. cols. 2-3, image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post/58029088/ : accessed 25 August 2020), clip page by user genistory. ↩︎
  19. “Palm Beach County: Pollak,” South Florida Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 17 December 2000, p. 7B. col. 1, image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel/58029328/ : accessed 25 August 2020), clip page by user genistory; Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136500362/stanley_i-pollak : accessed 15 June 2021), memorial page for Stanley I. Pollak (1910–2000), Find a Grave Memorial ID 136500362, citing Star of David Cemetery, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, Maintained by Roberta and Richard Moody (contributor 48450447). ↩︎

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