Frank Herbst Papers and Photographs

Frank Herbst was born in 1917 in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended New York City public schools. He graduated from City College in 1938 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. While a student, he became active in campus politics. He was elected president of the Student Council as well as president of the City College Chapter of the American Student Union. After graduation, he found work as a case worker with the New York City Department of Welfare (later the Human Resources Administration). He joined the State, County and Municipal Workers Union, Local 1 and became the manager of the Local.

The outbreak of World War II interrupted Herbst's union work. He enlisted in the Navy and spent three years as a Quartermaster First Class and Assistant Navigator on a destroyer escort. After discharge in 1946, he returned to the union and accepted the position of Local 1 Representative (business agent), which through merger became part of the United Public Workers of America. Under his leadership, the Local achieved significant gains in wages, working conditions, staff promotions and grievance procedures, as well as in services to the Welfare clients. Herbst was a regular columnist in Welfare Reporter, the newsletter of Local 1.

In 1950, the CIO forced out the United Public Workers of America and other national unions as "communist-dominated". Herbst himself was called in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He left the local in 1952 in order to enable the union maintain official recognition and continue to represent the workers. The remnants of the Local merged with Teamsters Local 237. In the early 1970s Herbst became a key figure in the planning and construction of the 1199 Plaza housing development. He died in 1979.