Richard H. Austin

Early life and education

Austin was born in Stouts Mountain, Cullman County, Alabama. His father, a coal miner, died when Austin was 11, after which his mother moved with her three sons to Detroit;

After graduating first in his class from Cass Technical High School, he was awarded an athletics scholarship to Wayne University, but had to leave for financial reasons; working in a shoe store and taking night classes, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from the Detroit Institute of Technology in 1937,

Professional career

In 1941, Austin founded the accounting firm of Richard H Austin & Co, which later became Austin, Washington & Davenport. After becoming Secretary of State in 1970, he sold the firm, which in 1971 became George Johnson & Company and now operates as GJC CPAs & Advisors.

Early political career

Austin served as an elected delegate for the Wayne County 6th District to the constitutional convention that produced the 1962 Michigan Constitution. In 1962 he also served on the Michigan State Board of Equalization and was elected to the Wayne County Board of Supervisors. He was co-chairman of the Michigan Commission on Legislative Apportionment from 1963 to 1965.

In 1964, he ran for Congress in Michigan's 1st congressional district, but lost to John Conyers in the Democratic Party primary election by 38 votes.

He was elected the first Black Wayne County auditor in 1966.

In 1969 he ran for mayor of Detroit, leading in the nonpartisan primary but lost to fellow Democrat Roman Gribbs, 49% to 51%.

Michigan Secretary of State

In 1970, Austin was elected as the Michigan Secretary of State, making him the first Black person to hold that position in any U.S. state serving until January 1, 1995, when he lost a re-election campaign bid in 1994 to Republican Candice Miller.

During his tenure, Austin emphasized road safety, supporting the enactment of laws mandating use of seat belts and child safety seats, and retention of the law requiring motorcycle helmets, and also achieving improvements to driver education and traffic safety. He also introduced mail-in vehicle registration renewals, license-plate tabs, and in 1975 the first "Motor Voter" law, a model for the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

In 1976 Austin unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Philip Hart.

Personal life and death

In 1939 Austin married Ida Dawson; they had a daughter. He died in Detroit on April 20, 2001, at the age of 87, from a heart attack and Alzheimer's disease. His papers are held at Wayne State University.

Legacy

In recognition of his service to traffic safety, Austin was placed on the Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor in 1996, and the annual award of the Michigan Governor's Traffic Safety Advisory Commission was renamed for him. The Treasury Building in Lansing was renamed to the Richard H. Austin building by an act of the state legislature in 2005.

References

References

1. (May 2018). "Richard H. Austin". Michigan State University Libraries.
2. "Richard Henry Austin (1913-2001)".
3. "Richard H. Austin: Michigan Secretary of State, 1971-1994". State of Michigan.
4. (September 10, 1969). "Negro County Auditor, White Sheriff Top Vote Getters in Detroit Mayoral Primary". The North Adams Transcript.
5. "Richard H. Austin Papers". Wayne State University Library System.
6. Justin A. Hinkley. (November 3, 2015). "Murray who? Meet state office buildings' namesakes". Lansing State Journal.
7. "History".
8. (September 30, 1964). "No Change In 5 Vote Recounts". Lansing State Journal.
9. (November 6, 1969). "Austin Showing Impressive". The Hillsdale Daily News.
10. (September 19, 1969). "Detroit: A Victory for Reason".
11. "MI US Senate - D Primary".
12. Agis Salpukas. (August 5, 1976). "Michigan's Senate Race Pits Riegle Against Esch". The New York Times.