Arthur Williams Austin (March 16, 1807 – July 26, 1884) was an American attorney and government official who served as Collector of Customs for the Port of Boston.
In 1835, Austin was elected to the Charlestown Board of Selectmen and the 28-year-old was selected by his fellow members to serve as chairman.
In 1854 and 1856 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district.
His residence in West Roxbury was purchased by the city of Boston and used as a poor farm and is now part of Franklin Park.
[1] He directed that the interest on his estate belong to his daughter Mary throughout her life and then the entire sum was to go to the University of Virginia.
Although Austin had no ties to the school or the state, he was an admirer of its founder – Thomas Jefferson.