Warren Robinson Austin

Background

Warren Robinson Austin was born at Highgate, Vermont, United States, on Nov. 12, 1877.

Education

He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1899 and studied law in his father's firm.

Career

He practiced law in Vermont from 1902 until 1916, when he acquired his first experience in international affairs during a year as legal representative for American interests building railways, a canal, and flood-control projects in China. His activity in Republican politics began early. At twenty-seven he was elected state's attorney of Franklin County, Vermont, United States. Five years later, in 1909, he became mayor of St. Albans. He was elected to the U. S. Senate in 1931 and reelected in 1934 and 1940. In the Senate he was active in the fields of military affairs, foreign policy, and postwar planning, and became a spokesman for the internationalist Republicans. A participant in the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace at Mexico City in 1945, he was credited with devising the plan ultimately adopted as the Act of Chapultepec. He was appointed permanent U. S. representative to the United Nations with the rank of ambassador by President Harry S. Truman on June 5, 1946. At the time he was Republican whip of the Senate and thus symbolized bipartisan American support of the United Nations. During his tenure, which ended with his resignation in 1952, Austin directed the expression of U. S. policy on such issues as the Korean conflict, the Berlin blockade, and the end of the Palestine mandate and establishment of Israel. He was chairman of the committee in charge of building the UN Headquarters in New York and had primary responsibility, also, for drafting the legislation and executive order establishing the Permanent U. S. Mission to the United Nations. Austin died on Dec. 25, 1962, in Burlington, Vermont, United States.

Works

• book

  • Export control in all territories, dependencies, and possesions on the United States
  • The road ahead in collective defense of free nations
  • World confidence and the reduction of armed forces, the American objective;
  • Harmony to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war
  • White River Chair Company vs. Connecticut River Power Company of New Hampshire: Defendant's brief: Of certain exceptions permitted to be briefed by plaintiff after argument
  • U.S.-U.K. essentials of peace, a challenge to Soviet sincerity
  • World confidence and the reduction of armed forces,: The American objective; (International organization and conference series)

Politics

His activity in Republican politics began early.

Connections

In 1901 Austin married Mildred Marie Lucas.

References

• Warren R. Austin at the U. N., 1946-1953