Austin Edward Ford (August 31, 1857 – September 17, 1896) was an American publisher and Fire Commissioner of New York.

Biography

Austin Edward Ford was born on August 31, 1857, in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, to Ellen and Thomas Irwin Ford. He was editor of the ''

New York Freeman The ''New York Freeman'' (1849–1918) was an American Catholic weekly newspaper in New York City. History The ''Weekly Register and Catholic Diary'' was started on October 5, 1833, by Fathers Schneller and Levins. It lasted three years, and wa ...

'', and was associated with the ''Irish World'', a newspaper run by his uncle, Patrick Ford. As such, he was active in promoting the cause of Irish independence. Ford moved to

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, where he later ran for

New York's 7th congressional district New York's 7th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Democrat Nydia Velázquez represents the district in Congress. Like ...

for the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

, losing to the Democratic Party candidate,

Franklin Bartlett Franklin Bartlett (September 10, 1847 – April 23, 1909) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1893 to 1897. Biography Bartlett was born in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusett ...

, in 1894. At the time he lived at 2767 Marion Avenue in what is now the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. He was appointed Fire Commissioner in 1895 by fellow Republican, Mayor Strong.

Death

He died in office aged 39 on September 17, 1896, from

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the Appendix (anatomy), appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and anorexia (symptom), decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these t ...

Legacy

Ford was a direct ancestral relative of Bishop

Francis Xavier Ford Francis Xavier Ford, MM (January 11, 1892 - February 21, 1952) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Kaying from 1946 until his death in 1952. He was a member of the Maryknoll Missionaries in China. Because of his torture by ...

, M.M., a missionary killed during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, as well as Sister

Ita Ford Ita Ford, M.M. (April 23, 1940 – December 2, 1980) was an American Maryknoll Sister who served as a missionary in Bolivia, Chile and El Salvador. She worked with the poor and war refugees. On December 2, 1980, she was beaten, raped, and murde ...

, M.M., a missionary murdered in El Salvador in 1980, and businessman William P. Ford, brother of Sister Ita, a lawyer and businessman turned human rights activist.

References

External links

Notre Dame Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Austin 1857 births 1896 deaths Businesspeople from Boston American publishers (people) American editors American people of Irish descent Deaths from appendicitis Commissioners of the New York City Fire Department New York (state) Republicans 19th-century American businesspeople