Richard H. Austin

Biography

Richard Henry Austin (May 6, 1913 – April 20, 2001) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the Michigan secretary of state from 1971 to 1995, the longest-serving secretary of state in the state, the first African American elected to the position, the first Black person to win election to any statewide office in Michigan except the Supreme Court. Also the first Black certified public accountant in Michigan, he previously served from 1967 to 1971 as the first Black Wayne County auditor, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Detroit in 1969.

Explore Wikipedia contributors ↗