pioneer brewer, b. Miltenburg, Bavaria. He became a master brewer at 24, migrated to the U.S. and, via Cincinnati, to Milwaukee in 1848. He worked in various Milwaukee breweries until 1856, when he joined Frederick Goes in establishing the Bavarian brewery in Wauwatosa under the name of Goes and Falk. In 1866 Falk became sole owner, changed the firm name to the Franz Falk Brewing Co., and built it into one of the largest breweries in the area. Falk had a large family and several of his sons rose to importance in the Milwaukee region. CLARENCE RUDOLPH FALK, b. Milwaukee. He graduated from Harvard (B.A., 1893). He studied law at Harvard for one year, and in 1901 joined his brother, Herman W., in the Falk Co., becoming secretary-treasurer. He served in the quartermaster department during World War I, and from 1918 to 1933 in the ordnance department of the Officers' Reserve Corps. He fostered early commercial aviation and attempted to make Milwaukee an aviation manufacturing center. A prominent industrialist, he served as a director with several large Milwaukee corporations, and in official capacities with many aviation, educational, musical, and philanthropic organizations. FRANK R. FALK, b. Milwaukee. He began his career as a bank messenger, and at 21 joined his father in the brewing business. He served in executive capacities with the Franz Falk Brewing Co., the Falk, Jung, and Borchert Brewing Co., and the Pabst Brewing Co. until his retirement in 1902. He was prominently identified with the Milwaukee Musical Society, the National Saengerbund, and the Milwaukee Advancement Association, and was active in state Democratic politics. HERMAN WAHL FALK, b. Milwaukee. He was educated in the German-English Academy, Milwaukee and the Allen Military Academy, Chicago. He was at first identified with the Falk breweries but, shortly after their acquisition by the Pabst Brewing Co. in 1892, he abandoned brewing in favor of heavy manufacturing. In 1895 he organized the Falk Manufacturing Co. (which later became the Falk Co. and, after 1921, the Falk Corporation), manufacturers of street rail-way materials, heavy machinery, and castings, and pioneers in the development of power transmission devices. He was president of this firm (1895-1940), and chairman of the board (1940-1947). He was also a director of several large corporations, including the Heil Co, and Allis- Chalmers, and was president of the Falk Investment Co. and the Hope Investment Co. OTTO HERBERT FALK, b. Wauwatosa. He was educated in the German-English Academy at Milwaukee, Northwestern College at Watertown, and graduated from the Allen Military Academy in Chicago (1884). He served in the Wisconsin National Guard (1886-1895) and (1899-1911), retiring with the rank of brigadier general. He was state adjutant general (1893-1895), and in this capacity played a prominent role in reorganizing the Wisconsin National Guard. Also prominent in industrial circles, he organized the Wisconsin Milling Co. (1893), one of the largest corn-products mills in the nation. He served as president (1913--1932) and chairman of the board (1932-1940) of the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co., and was an officer or director of numerous other corporations, manufacturing concerns, and banks. He held office on the Milwaukee Public Safety Commission, the Fire and Police Commission, and the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association. Dict. Amer. Biog., Suppl. 2; E. B. Usher, Wis. (8 vols., Chicago, 1914); F. L. Holmes, et al., eds., Wis. (5 vols., Chicago, 1946); WPA field notes.Learn More
Dictionary of Wisconsin History
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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]
