Ed Austin
T. Edward "Ed" Austin, Jr. (born July 15, 1926) is an American politician. He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, from 1991 to 1995. He had been elected a Democrat, but switched parties to become a Republican during his term.
Austin was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and played football for the Duke University Blue Devils for four seasons, 1945–1948. He received a B.A. and a master's degree in school administration, and received a juris doctor from the University of Florida in 1958. His wife Patricia died in a car accident near St. Augustine in 1996; he was also injured. He married Connie Green in 2003; they divorced in 2006.
Before running for mayor Austin served as State Attorney for 20 years. He ran against incumbent mayor Tommy Hazouri in 1991 and won the election. His most lasting contribution as mayor is his River City Renaissance program, which funded urban renewal and revamped the city's historic downtown neighborhoods. Austin oversaw the city's purchase and refurbishing of the Saint James Building, which would eventually become Jacksonville's new city hall. Austin did not seek re-election in 1995, and backed the campaign of his Republican chief of staff, John Delaney, who defeated former mayor Jake Godbold to become the next mayor of Jacksonville.
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