Charles O. AUSTIN, Jr.

AUSTIN, ABLARD

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/10/2017 at 15:09:19

December 26, 1914 ---- October 29, 1999

ROCK ISLAND, IL -- Charles O. Austin Jr., of 1721 23rd Ave., died Friday, Oct. 29, 1999, in Rock Island. Memorial services will be 3 p.m. Sunday at Rock Island High School auditorium. The family will receive friends immediately following the services in the high school library. The body was donated to the University of Iowa School of Medicine, Iowa City. Hodgson Funeral Home, Rock Island, is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Austin was a veteran educator. He began his career in 1937 as a social studies teacher in Ida Grove, Iowa. He was a critic teacher in social studies at University of Iowa High School from 1938 to 1941; high school principal in West Liberty, Iowa in 1941-42; high school principal in Clarion, Iowa from 1946 to 1948; and high school principal in Taylorville, Ill., from 1948 to 1951. From 1951 to 1965, he was principal of Rock Island High School. In 1965 he was named assistant superintendent of schools. He became superintendent in 1966, a position he held until 1973. From 1973 to 1975, he was executive director of Junior Achievement of the Quad-Cities Area Inc. And from 1979 to 1987, he was vice president of marketing for American Bank of Rock Island.

Charles O. Austin Jr. was born Dec. 26, 1914, in Decatur, Ill., the son of Charles O. Austin Sr. and Olive Pepper Austin. He married Mary Ablard on May 6, 1943, in Little Rock, Ark. She died May 18, 1982. He graduated from Charleston (Ill.) High School in 1932 and Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, in 1936 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He earned a masters degree in political science in 1940 from the University of Iowa. He did 60 hours of additional graduate work in education, history and human relations at the University of Iowa and Western Illinois University, Macomb. Mr. Austin served in the Army from 1942 to 1946, attaining the rank of captain. He was a commissioned second lieutenant in the infantry in 1943 and served 2 1/2 years with the 90th Infantry Regiment. He was officer in charge of the Officers' Separation Center, Fort Bragg, N.C., in 1945-46, and was awarded the Army Commendation Ribbon for service at Fort Bragg in June 1946. He was a member of Broadway Presbyterian Church, Rock Island, where he served as an elder, deacon and trustee. Mr. Austin was a life member of the National Education Association and retired member of the Illinois Association of School Administrators. He also was a member of the University of Iowa Presidents' Club, Eastern Illinois University President's Club and Phi Delta Kappa. He was awarded the PDK Service Key in 1985 and the PDK Founders' Society in 1987. He also served the educational community as a chairman of the legislative commission of the Illinois High School Association. He served the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) from 1960-1963 as a member of a committee that implemented a program for gifted children in the state of Illinois. In 1963 he was appointed to the OSPI Advisory Council on Gifted Children. He held that appointment until 1965. He was a member of the OSPI State Finance committee from 1971 to 1973. Mr. Austin had five articles on educational administration printed in Illinois Education or The Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. His community service included work with the following organizations: Fort Armstrong Area Council of Boy Scouts, Rock Island Youth Guidance Council, Rock Island Safety Council, Citizens' Advisory Committee to Juvenile Court, Rock Island Clean and Beautiful, Rock Island Chamber of Commerce and Citizens for Good Government. He also had been president of the Namequa Lodge Board, treasurer of the River Bend Library Board, president and 24-year member of the Rock Island Library Board, chair of individual gifts committee and 15-year volunteer for United Way and member of the YWCA Advisory Board for 12 years. He was a member of the American Cancer Society for 21 years and organized the Rock Island chapter. He worked with the American Red Cross for 44 years, serving as treasurer. In 1998, he was designated as an honorary life board member. He also worked with the American Heart Society for 19 years. Mr. Austin joined the Rotary in Clarion in 1947. He became a Paul Harris Fellow in 1973 and a benefactor for the foundation in 1989. He received many Rotarian honors including the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service in 1974, the Rock Island Rotary Service Above Self award (1977), Distinguished Service award (1977-78), Rock Island Community Service award (1984), District 642 Service award (1984), Rock Island Rotary A.T. Pera award (1985) and the 50-year Perfect Attendance award (1999). As a member of the Rotary he served as District 642 governor in 1984. Other awards he received included presidential citations in 1973 and 1975 from the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the DeMolay Legion of Merit in 1981, the Illinois Quad-City Chamber of Commerce award for Outstanding Service as a volunteer in 1985, distinguished alumnus award from Eastern Illinois University in 1986, Rock Island Citizen of the Year in 1989 and the Charles O. Austin Scholar recognition in 1999. In 1984, he was selected as king of the Mardi Gras sponsored by Junior Board of Rock Island. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Rock Island High School Honors Program, c/o Charles Austin III, 4507 41st Ave. Court, Rock Island, Ill., 61201.

Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Charles O. Austin III and Ann Austin, Rock Island; a son, Stephen J. Austin, Chicago; and grandchildren, Julie Austin and John Austin, both of Rock Island. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a sister, Dorothy C. Austin, in infancy; and a twin brother, Jack Austin, in 1978.

October 29, 1999
Quad-City Times --- Moline, Illinois

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[high school principal in Clarion, Wright, Iowa from 1946 to 1948]