Helen Elsie Austin
Encyclopedia
Helen Elsie Austin was an attorney, US Foreign Service Officer, and member of the Bahá'í
National Spiritual Assemblies in the United States and North West Africa. She was among the first African American
s admitted to the practice of law in the United States.
. Both her parents worked at the Tuskegee Institute; her father served as Commandant of Men. When the family moved to Ohio, her mother worked at Stowe School
. Austin graduated from Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati, Ohio
, in 1924. She is known to have interrupted a class on an extended description of the contributions of Africans after correcting a textbook. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1928 and a Bachelor of Laws
degree in 1930 from the University of Cincinnati
, becoming the first black woman to graduate from the UC Law School as well as the 8th president of the Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority. Austin was on the staff of the Rocky Mountain Law Review
and of the Cincinnati Law Review. In 1938 she received a Doctor of Laws degree from Wilberforce University
.
She lived in Silver Spring, Maryland
before moving to San Antonio, Texas
in June 2004. She died of congestive heart failure on 26 October 2004. Public memorial services were held at the Bahá'í House of Worship
in the United States and in Uganda
.
from 1960–1970, she served as a Cultural attaché
with the United States Information Agency
in Lagos
, Nigeria
and later in Nairobi
, Kenya
. Austin retired from the Foreign Service in 1970.
Dorothy Beecher Baker and Louis George Gregory
. She was elected to its United States governing body in 1944. After pilgrimage
to Haifa
, Austin pioneered
to Morocco
in 1953, gaining status as a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. While teaching at the American School of Tangier
in Morocco
(1954–57), she helped establish Baha'i communities in northern and western Africa. In 1955 Austin wrote Above All Barriers: The Story of Louis G. Gregory reprinted in 1964, 1976. Austin was elected to the regional National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa and helped elect the first Universal House of Justice
in 1963. Ultimately Austin served on Local Spiritual Assemblies in five countries: United States, Morocco, Nigeria
, Kenya
, and the Bahamas and also served as one of the first members of the Auxiliary Board
, assisting the Hand of the Cause Musa Banani.
In 1958 she was appointed executive director of the National Women's Council. In 1975 Austin chaired the Baha'i delegation to the International Women's Conference in Mexico City. In 1982 Austin worked with the Phelps Stokes Fund in China
inspecting schools, businesses and community services affecting education and opportunities for minorities.
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
National Spiritual Assemblies in the United States and North West Africa. She was among the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s admitted to the practice of law in the United States.
Personal life
Austin was born in AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Both her parents worked at the Tuskegee Institute; her father served as Commandant of Men. When the family moved to Ohio, her mother worked at Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
. Austin graduated from Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, in 1924. She is known to have interrupted a class on an extended description of the contributions of Africans after correcting a textbook. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1928 and a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1930 from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, becoming the first black woman to graduate from the UC Law School as well as the 8th president of the Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
Sorority. Austin was on the staff of the Rocky Mountain Law Review
Law review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
and of the Cincinnati Law Review. In 1938 she received a Doctor of Laws degree from Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University is a private, coed, liberal arts historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans...
.
She lived in Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
before moving to San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
in June 2004. She died of congestive heart failure on 26 October 2004. Public memorial services were held at the Bahá'í House of Worship
Bahá'í House of Worship
A Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by its Arabic name of Mashriqu'l-Adhkár ,is the designation of a place of worship, or temple, of the Bahá'í Faith...
in the United States and in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
.
Governmental Service
She was the first black woman to serve as Assistant Attorney General in Ohio (1937–38) and became legal advisor to the District of Columbia government in 1939. As a US Foreign Service OfficerForeign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. As diplomats, Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic...
from 1960–1970, she served as a Cultural attaché
Cultural attaché
A cultural attaché is a diplomat with special responsibility for promoting the culture of his or her homeland. The position has been used as an official cover for intelligence agents. Historically, the post has often been filled by writers and artists, giving them a steady income, allowing them to...
with the United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and later in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Austin retired from the Foreign Service in 1970.
Bahá'í faith
Austin joined the Bahá'í Faith in 1934 and met Hands of the CauseHands of the Cause
The Hands of the Cause of God, Hands of the Cause, or Hands were a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith...
Dorothy Beecher Baker and Louis George Gregory
Louis George Gregory
Louis George Gregory was a prominent member of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1951 he was posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause, the highest appointed position in the Bahá'í Faith, by Shoghi Effendi.-Early years:He was born on June 6, 1874 to African-American parents liberated during the Civil War...
. She was elected to its United States governing body in 1944. After pilgrimage
Bahá'í pilgrimage
A Bahá'í pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Haifa, Akká, and Bahjí at the Bahá'í World Centre in Northwest Israel. Bahá'ís do not have access to other places designated as sites for pilgrimage....
to Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Austin pioneered
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1953, gaining status as a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. While teaching at the American School of Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
(1954–57), she helped establish Baha'i communities in northern and western Africa. In 1955 Austin wrote Above All Barriers: The Story of Louis G. Gregory reprinted in 1964, 1976. Austin was elected to the regional National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa and helped elect the first Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
in 1963. Ultimately Austin served on Local Spiritual Assemblies in five countries: United States, Morocco, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and the Bahamas and also served as one of the first members of the Auxiliary Board
Institution of the Counsellors
The Counsellors are part of the administrative order of the Bahá'í Faith, and are part of a greater administrative branch called the Institution of the Counsellors, established by the Universal House of Justice in 1968....
, assisting the Hand of the Cause Musa Banani.
In 1958 she was appointed executive director of the National Women's Council. In 1975 Austin chaired the Baha'i delegation to the International Women's Conference in Mexico City. In 1982 Austin worked with the Phelps Stokes Fund in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
inspecting schools, businesses and community services affecting education and opportunities for minorities.