Background
Wyck, Augustus Van was born on October 14, 1850 in New York, United States. Son of Honorary William and Lydia A. (Maverick) V.
Wyck, Augustus Van was born on October 14, 1850 in New York, United States. Son of Honorary William and Lydia A. (Maverick) V.
Preparatory education, Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire (U.S.) Bachelor of Arts, University of North Carolina, 1864, Master of Arts
In 1898 he received the Democratic Nomination for New York State governor against the Republican choice, Theodore Roosevelt. Roots of the Van Wyck family date back to early Dutch immigration to North America. One of the first descendants of the family, Cornelius Barents Van Wyck came from the town of Wyck, the Netherlands in 1650.
Augustus Van Wyck"s education led him to Phillips Exeter Academy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study the practice of law.
Moving to Richmond, Virginia Van Wyck practiced law for a brief period before moving to Brooklyn, New York in 1871. In 1882 Van Wyck was elected as President of the County General Committee.
He also was active in state, county and national conventions of the Democratic party. In 1884, Augustus Van Wyck was elected to the Superior Court in Brooklyn until transferred to the Supreme Court where he remained until 1896.
Much to Van Wyck"s surprise, he was nominated by his fellow Democrats to oppose the Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, in the race for Governor of New York in 1898.
Van Wyck received 643,921 votes, while Roosevelt received 661,715 votes. After the election Van Wyck resumed his law practice on 149 Broadway, New New York While being treated for an "intestinal ailment" at Hahnemann Hospital the former justice on June 8, 1922 died at the age of 71.
Member State Democratic Committee of New York, many years. Member standing committee Episcopal Church Diocese of Long Island
Married Leila G. Wilkins.