Arthur Austin

Arthur Austin Jr. (July 8, 1902 – February 4, 1962) was an American swimmer and water polo player who won a bronze medal in water polo at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris and competed in water polo and swimming with Stanford University from around 1919-1923. After marrying in 1928, he worked as a water polo official and referee from 1932-1947, for the Illinois Pacific Coast Company as an import broker, as a sales manager for Anchor Hocking Glass.

Austin was born July 8, 1902 in Oakland, California to Arthur Austin Senior. He had an older brother Harry, and a sister. Growing up in Oakland, he began swimming with the Oakland YMCA, but later competed for Freemont High School under swim coach Carl Dietz and Freemont High general Coach Walter Le Baker. On April 20, 1918, representing Freemont High, he competed in the Alameda County High School League Swimming meet. During his High School years, he was considered by many to be one of the fastest swimmers for his size among the competitors in the Pacific Coast Schools.

Stanford University

Austin attended and graduated Stanford University, where he was a member of Delta Tau Fraternity, and competed with Stanford's Varsity swimming and water polo teams from 1920-1923. At Stanford, Austin was coached in swimming and water polo by Hall of Fame Coach, and 1912 Olympic diver for Sweden, Ernst Brandsten. Wally O'Connor was an outstanding member of Stanford's Water Polo and swim team at the time, and attended the 1924 Olympics with Austin where he both competed in swimming and shared the bronze medal with Austin in water polo. O'Connor, a Stanford water polo Captain, may have also helped coach the Stanford team occasionally. Film Star Johnny Weismuller also competed with the U.S. Water Polo team in 1924, and shared in the bronze medal, but did not attend Stanford.

A recognized regional power in the sport, Stanford's Water Polo Team, during Austin's tenure, was a Collegiate Pac-8 Conference Champion in 1921, 1922, and 1923. Recognized as a strong swimmer, in his Freshman year at Stanford in April, 1920 he was elected team Captain. As a Sophomore at Stanford on October 22, 1920, Austin won both the 50-yard freestyle with a time of :28 and the 100-yard freestyle event in 1:06.8 at the interclass meet held at Stanford, becoming the star of the meet, and leading his sophomore class to win against the other Stanford swimmers.

1924 Paris Olympics In mid-July 1924, Austin was part of the U.S. water polo team which won the bronze medal. Austin, an important addition to the team, played all five matches. In an unexpected turn of events, including to the French audience, France defeated Belgium, 3-0, to capture the gold medal. Belgium, after defeating Sweden by a score of 4-3, then faced the United States for the silver-medal. Belgium beat the US by a score of 2-1. The American team filed a protest, but the Belgium team still captured the silver medal in the replay by the same score, 2-1.

Club participation After leaving Stanford, he swam and played water polo for the Hollywood Athletic Club, the San Francisco Olympic Club, and later the Los Angeles Athletic Club. At the Los Angeles Athletic Club, he may have received coaching from Clyde Swenson who coached the L.A. Athletic Club in diving, swimming, and water polo, during the years Austin was active with their teams.

Life outside athletics Marriage On the evening of Saturday, September 1, 1928 at the home of the bride's mother, Austin was married to Winifred Hill by Father Gee, Pastor of Claremont California's St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

Honors In 1979, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.