Austin E. Ford

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

Austin Edward Ford
New York City Fire Commissioner
In office
1895-1896
Succeeded byThomas Sturgis
Personal details
BornAugust 31, 1857
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died(1896-09-17)September 17, 1896 (aged 39)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathAppendicitis
Political partyRepublican
RelationsBishop Francis Xavier Ford, M.M.
Sister Ita Ford, M.M.

Biography

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Austin Edward Ford was born on August 31, 1857, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Ellen and Thomas Irwin Ford. He was editor of the New York Freeman, and was associated with the Irish World, a newspaper run by his uncle, Patrick Ford.[1] As such, he was active in promoting the cause of Irish independence.[2]

Ford moved to Manhattan, where he later ran for New York's 7th congressional district for the United States Congress, losing to the Democratic Party candidate, Franklin Bartlett, in 1894. At the time he lived at 2767 Marion Avenue in what is now the Borough of the Bronx.[1] He was appointed Fire Commissioner in 1895 by fellow Republican, Mayor Strong.[citation needed]

Death

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He died in office aged 39 on September 17, 1896, from appendicitis.[3][4]

Legacy

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Ford was a direct ancestral relative of Bishop Francis Xavier Ford, M.M., a missionary killed during the Korean War, as well as Sister Ita Ford, 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.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Appointed by Mayor. Austin E. Ford Becomes a Member of the Fire Board" (PDF). The New York Times. May 2, 1895. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  2. ^ "Sympathy for Ireland. A Big Mass Meeting of Parnell's Friends in Brooklyn" (PDF). The New York Times. April 15, 1887. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  3. ^ "Austin E. Ford's Condition Critical" (PDF). The New York Times. September 17, 1896.
  4. ^ "To Succeed Austin E. Ford. Thomas Sturgis Made a Fire Commissioner by the Mayor" (PDF). The New York Times. April 6, 1896. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
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