Frank and Kay Kendrick were long serving members of the United States Volunteer Life Saving Corps in Yonkers. This organization rescued people in the Hudson River that were drowning or in boating accidents. On November 8th, 2024, Abigail Dixson-Boles (former YPL intern and Sarah Lawrence College graduate) conducted an oral history interview with Bob Walters (former Beczak Environmental Education Center director) about the Kendricks. In the interview, Walters talks about their rescues with the United States Volunteer Life Saving Corps and their dedication to the Hudson River. He describes Frank Kendrick’s act of heroism on September 11, 2002, in which he died saving the life of a woman who was attempting to committ suicide.
The oral history interview is on the Yonkers Public Library digital archive. A video of the interview was also created. In it, there are photographs of the Kendricks and video footage of the Hudson River and the interview with Bob Walters.
To learn more about the Kendricks, take a look at this essay about them written by Abigail Dixson-Boles. The essay contains a history of the United States Volunteer Saving Corps and stories about Frank and Kay Kendrick.
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian. He is currently reading The March by E.L. Doctorow.