Austin Joseph Tobin (May 25, 1903 – February 8, 1978) was an American businessman who served as the executive director of the Port of New York Authority, the precursor to the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...

, from 1942 until 1972. Tobin is widely known for authorizing the construction of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed during the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

in 2001.

Background

Tobin was born on May 25, 1903, to an

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

family in Brooklyn, New York City. He was educated at the College of the Holy Cross and Fordham Law School. Tobin joined the Port Authority in 1927, where he served the first 15 years of his career in the law department. He started out as a

law clerk A law clerk, judicial clerk, or judicial assistant is a person, often a lawyer, who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by Legal research, researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial ...

, and was promoted to assistant

general counsel A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department. In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...

in 1935. In 1942, he was appointed as executive director of the Port Authority. During his thirty years as executive director, the agency gained control of LaGuardia Airport, Idlewild (later renamed

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...

), and Newark Airport. He oversaw the development of the original World Trade Center, the creation of the Lincoln Tunnel, and the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...

. When Mr. Tobin joined the agency as a law clerk it had 300 employees. When he retired as executive director in 1972, the agency had 8,000 employees and an investment of $2.6 billion in bridges, airports, ship terminals and other facilities, including the vast World Trade Center. Tobin is noted for his difference of style from Robert Moses -- most particularly, for his relocation of bus terminal tenants. Tobin also is noted for prioritizing mass transit more than Moses did. Tobin and Moses worked together to help fund and build the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and the Throgs Neck Bridge. In 1966, Tobin received The Hundred Year Association of New York's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York". He died on February 8, 1978, in

Manhattan, New York City Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...

, at the age of 74.

Legacy

Austin J. Tobin Plaza

In 1982, the Port Authority decided to rename the outdoor plaza at the World Trade Center as the Austin J. Tobin Plaza in his honor. The centerpiece of the plaza was '' The Sphere'', a 25-foot tall bronze sculpture designed by Fritz Koenig. The plaza was destroyed during the

in 2001. The National September 11 Memorial now occupies the site.

Background

Legacy

Austin J. Tobin Plaza

See also

References

Further reading