Roswell Mears Austin (September 23, 1887 – February 1, 1966) was a Vermont politician and

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

who served as Speaker of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

Early life

Roswell Mears Austin was born in

Highgate, Vermont Highgate is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,472 at the 2020 census. The town is on the Canada–US border and is a border town with Philipsburg, Quebec. History Highgate was named after Highgate in Engl ...

on September 23, 1887, a son of attorney Chauncey Goodrich Austin and Anne (Robinson) Austin. Austin graduated from St. Albans High School in 1905 and Phillips Andover Academy in 1906. He attended Yale College from 1906 to 1910, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then studied law with his father, was admitted to the bar, and began to practice with his father in St. Albans City.

Early career

A Republican, Austin was Assistant Clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1915 to 1920 and Clerk from 1921 to 1925. In 1924 Austin was elected to represent St. Albans City in the Vermont House of Representatives. He served one term, 1925 to 1927, and was Speaker of the House. Austin later became involved in several businesses, and was a longtime executive of the American Granite Association.

Later career

In 1942, Austin entered the United States Army as a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and was assigned to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. He served until 1945 and was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

during the war and continued to serve on the board throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including service as the board's president. Austin received the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

in recognition of his contract appeals board work during World War II. As a result of contract appeals board service, Austin was involved in the investigation of President Dwight Eisenhower's Chief of Staff, Sherman Adams when Adams was accused of using his influence on behalf of favored contractors in exchange for gifts. Austin died in

New Bern, North Carolina New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...

on February 1, 1966. He was cremated in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

Family

In 1911, Austin married Katherine Mussey Sewall in Worcester, Massachusetts. She died in 1948, and they were the parents of three children. Roswell Auston was the brother of United States Senator

Warren R. Austin Warren Robinson Austin (November 12, 1877 – December 25, 1962) was an American politician and diplomat who served as United States Senator from Vermont and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. A native of Highgate Center, Vermont, Austin wa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, Roswell M. 1887 births 1966 deaths People from St. Albans, Vermont Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont lawyers Yale College alumni Phillips Academy alumni Politicians from New Bern, North Carolina 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American lawyers Recipients of the Legion of Merit