Herbert E. Austin

From 1909-1929, Herbert Austin worked tirelessly developing the Training School's science curriculum, and later, doing administrative work for the Teachers College. In recognition of Austin's distinguished service, President Robert Wright named the grandest building on campus, the Administration Building, after him posthumously. Although the trustees had asked Wright to name buildings in honor of the school's founders – Thomas J. Jarvis, William H. Ragsdale, James L. Fleming, James Y. Joyner, Claude W. Wilson, and Sallie Southall Cotten – Wright decided, apparently on his own authority, to so honor the dedicated teacher-administrator, Herbert Austin.

Wright and Austin first met in Baltimore. Austin had finished a Bachelor of Science degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, and did some graduate work at Johns Hopkins University. He was a professor of science and pedagogy at Maryland State Normal College in Baltimore when he got to know Wright, then principal of a high school for girls in the same city. Shortly after Wright became president of the Training School, he asked the board to hire Austin to teach geography and direct science pedagogy. Jarvis had earlier hired four faculty: Claude W. Wilson, Mamie Jenkins, Maria Graham, and Sallie Joyner Davis, all Southerners. With Austin, Wright brought to the North Carolina school a measure of diversity in the form of the diligent New Englander. Following Claude W. Wilson's passing in 1922, Austin became Wright's second-in-command. Along with orchestrating the school's curriculum, Austin chaired the Appointments Committee responsible for working with school superintendents throughout the state in assigning ECTC graduates to appropriate teaching positions.

In addition to serving as the founding father of the sciences at East Carolina, Austin was active in community organizations, especially the Red Cross, and also in his church as a Sunday school teacher. Austin spoke frequently at rural schools and professional organizations. He also contributed pieces regularly — more than any other faculty – to the Training School Quarterly, giving that publication a much needed scientific dimension and scholarly tone. Austin served as the advisor for the Class of 1915 and, four years later, for the Class of 1919.

In 1963, the North Carolina General Assembly approved funding for construction of a new classroom building at East Carolina College to replace the Austin Building. The new building, which today houses mathematics, was built on the east end of campus where the baseball field once was. Upon completion, the building was named after Austin. To distinguish it from the former Administration Building, it was referred to "New Austin," while the other was known as "Old Austin." The latter was razed in 1968.

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Sources

• "1919: Herbert E. Austin." Training School Quarterly. April, May, June, 1919. Vol. 6, no. 1. Pp. 86-88.
• Austin, Herbert E. "The Teacher vs. A Teacher." Training School Quarterly. Vol. 2, no. 1. July, August, September, 1915. Pp. 123-124.
• Austin, Herbert E. "Approaching Agriculture through the Small Garden." Training School Quarterly. Vol. 2, no. 1. April, May, June, 1916. Pp. 15-16.
• Austin, Herbert E. "Make the Farm Poultry Produce More." Training School Quarterly. Vol. 4, no. 4. January, February, March, 1918. Pp. 312-314.
• Austin, Herbert E. "Making Geography Real." Training School Quarterly. Vol. 5, no. 3. October, November, December, 1918. Pp. 222-226.
• Austin, Herbert E. "The Professional Growth." Training School Quarterly. Vol. 7, no. 1. October, November, December, 1919. Pp. 11-14.
• "Construction of Building at ECC Set." Asheville Citizen-Times. August 19, 1963. P. 8.
• "Herbert E. Austin." The Tecoan 1930. East Carolina Teachers College Student Government Association, 1930.

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