Richard H. Austin Papers

Posted October 24th, 2008 by drice
in
Extent: 
23 linear feet (67 MB, 3 SB)
Date: 
1964-1971
Accession Number: 
UP000421

Mr. Austin, who in 1941 became Michigan's first black certified public accountant, has been active in Detroit, Wayne County, and Michigan Democratic politics and civic clubs for many years. During the period 1961-63, he was a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention; 1963-65, co-chairman of the Michigan Commission on Legislative Apportionment; 1962, elected to the Wayne County Board of Supervisors; 1964, lost the Congressional race against John Conyers, Jr.; 1966, won a seat on the Wayne County Board of Auditors; 1969, defeated by Roman Gribbs in the Detroit mayoralty race; 1970, elected Michigan's Secretary of State. The material in the collection relates to these topics and to numerous civic and professional organizations to which he belonged. Among the correspondents are Jerome P. Cavanagh, John Conyers, Jr., Charles Diggs, Fred Harris, Hubert Humphrey, Mildred Jeffrey, James McNeely, Walter Reuther, and G. Mennen Williams.

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