Richard W. Austin
Encyclopedia
Richard Wilson Austin was an American
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for the 2nd congressional district
of Tennessee
. He was born on August 26, 1857 in Decatur, Alabama
in Morgan County
. He attended the common schools, Loudon High School, and the University of Tennessee
at Knoxville
in 1873. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1878, and commenced practice in Knoxville, Tennessee.
He was a clerk in the Post Office Department at Washington, D.C.
from 1879 to 1881. He was Assistant Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives
in the Forty-seventh Congress from 1881 to 1883. He was a special agent of the War Department
from 1883 to 1885. In 1885, he engaged in newspaper work in Knoxville, Tennessee. He returned to Decatur, Alabama and continued the practice of law. He was the private secretary of Congressman Leonidas C. Houk
from Tennessee in 1888. He was the city attorney of Decatur, Alabama.
He was an unsuccessful Republican
candidate for election in 1890 to the Fifty-second Congress. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
at Minneapolis in 1892. He returned to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1893 and edited the Knoxville Republican. He was a United States marshal
for the eastern district of Tennessee from 1897 to 1906. He was appointed United States consul
at Glasgow
, Scotland
and served from July 1906 to November 1907, when he resigned.
He was elected as a Republican
to the Sixty-first and the four succeeding Congresses. He served from March 4, 1909 to March 3, 1919. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1918. He died in Washington, D.C.
on April 20, 1919. He was interred
in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for the 2nd congressional district
Tennessee's 2nd congressional district
The 2nd congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes the east central part of the state....
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He was born on August 26, 1857 in Decatur, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
in Morgan County
Morgan County, Alabama
Morgan County is the most populous county in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, and the second most populous county in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area in the U.S. State of Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on February 6, 1818 from land acquired from the...
. He attended the common schools, Loudon High School, and the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
at Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
in 1873. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1878, and commenced practice in Knoxville, Tennessee.
He was a clerk in the Post Office Department at Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1879 to 1881. He was Assistant Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives
Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives
An appointed officer of the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1995, the Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives was chosen by a resolution at the opening of each United States Congress. The Office of the Doorkeeper was based on precedent from the Continental...
in the Forty-seventh Congress from 1881 to 1883. He was a special agent of the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
from 1883 to 1885. In 1885, he engaged in newspaper work in Knoxville, Tennessee. He returned to Decatur, Alabama and continued the practice of law. He was the private secretary of Congressman Leonidas C. Houk
Leonidas C. Houk
Leonidas Campbell Houk was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 2nd congressional district of Tennessee...
from Tennessee in 1888. He was the city attorney of Decatur, Alabama.
He was an unsuccessful Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for election in 1890 to the Fifty-second Congress. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
at Minneapolis in 1892. He returned to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1893 and edited the Knoxville Republican. He was a United States marshal
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
for the eastern district of Tennessee from 1897 to 1906. He was appointed United States consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
at Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and served from July 1906 to November 1907, when he resigned.
He was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Sixty-first and the four succeeding Congresses. He served from March 4, 1909 to March 3, 1919. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1918. He died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on April 20, 1919. He was interred
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee.
External links
- Richard W. Austin at Find-A-Grave