Ed Austin
Ed Austin | |
|---|---|
Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida | |
| In office 1974–1991 | |
| Preceded by | Don Nichols |
| Succeeded by | Harry Shorstein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | T. Edward Austin Jr. July 15, 1926 Fredric G. Levin College of Law |
T. Edward "Ed" Austin Jr. (July 15, 1926 – April 23, 2011) was an American
Early life
Austin was born in Shenandoah, Virginia. In 1944 he enrolled at Duke University, where he played college football as a tight end and ran track for the Duke Blue Devils. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree while at Duke, and was subsequently employed as a teacher. He later joined the United States Army, where he served in the 101st Airborne Division as a paratrooper.[1]
Austin was hospitalized with a back injury; in the hospital he met his future wife, Patricia Lynch, an Army social worker.[2] In 1957, he was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant, and relocated to attend law school at the University of Florida.[1]
Career
Austin received a
In 1991 Austin resigned his position as State Attorney to run against incumbent mayor
During his term as mayor he switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican; according to his chief of staff John Delaney, he told his staff before leaving on a trip to China that he had become so disenchanted with the Democrats that he did not want to die as one if his plane crashed.[1] In 1994, he announced he would not seek a second term as mayor. In the subsequent election he backed Delaney, who defeated former mayor Jake Godbold to become the next mayor of Jacksonville.
Austin was an imposing figure, a "strapping John Wayne-kind of guy", according to Delaney, who first worked for Austin as an intern in the early 1980s.
Personal life
Austin and his wife had three children and nine grandchildren. His wife of 39 years, Patricia, died in a car accident near St. Augustine in 1996; he was a passenger and was also injured, but recovered. In 2003, he married Connie Green; they divorced in 2006. The Ed Austin Regional Park in Arlington was dedicated in 2005,[8] and a $150,000 endowed scholarship was established at the University of North Florida during 2008 in his honor.[9] His grandson Austin Slater played college baseball at Stanford University and plays for the San Francisco Giants as of 2024.
Austin was recovering from heart surgery several weeks prior, but had not experienced complications. He died in his sleep on April 23, 2011.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Mary Kelli Palka (April 23, 2011). "Former Jacksonville mayor Ed Austin preached fairness, justice". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ a b "T. Edward Austin" Florida Times-Union, April 27, 2011
- ^ "T Edward Austin Jr." Florida Bar website, Find a Lawyer
- ^ Goldin 1991 Archived 2011-11-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Patton, Charlie: "Former Mayor Ed Austin remembered for 'uncanny moral compass' Florida Times-Union, April 28, 2011
- ^ Landeros, Monica: "Former Jacksonville Mayor Ed Austin was 'Caring Mentor', 'True Statesman'" Archived 2012-07-30 at archive.today First Coast News, April 24, 2011
- ^ a b "Ed Austin Honored As 'True Statesman'" Archived 2011-04-27 at the Wayback Machine WJXT channel 4, April 24, 2011
- ^ "Ed Austin Regional Park History" Archived 2006-05-03 at the Wayback Machine City of Jacksonville, Parks & Recreation
- ^ "UNF Fellowship Honors Former Mayor Ed Austin" Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine University of North Florida press release, May 14, 2008