[1] From 1939 to 1941, he attended Weber College in Ogden where he was student body president and active in public speaking, in which he won first place in national competitions.

[7] Throughout his life Austad was active in the LDS Church,[6] and in addition to his missionary service he was also a Sunday School teacher in the 1970s in Washington, D.C.,[3] and was ordained as a High Priest.

[4][6][7] Starting in 1960, Austad became a commentator at WTTG television and in 1961 he became vice president of public affairs at Metropolitan Broadcasting Company, later called Metromedia, where he stayed until 1981.

[4] In 1971, in this period of civic involvement, Austad received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Weber State College, his alma mater.

[1] He served in this position until 1984 and was well received[6][12] and awarded Norway's highest honor given to foreigners, the Grand Cross of St. Olav's Order, for his work in fighting heart disease.

[14][15] It was alleged that Austad was "apparently under the influence of alcohol" and had spent "half an hour knocking and kicking at her front door Wednesday in an attempt to get in.

"[16] Police merely dropped Austad back at his hotel,[14] but United States House Democrats listed this incident as one of many ethics violations by Reagan Administration officials.

[16] Austad viewed the criticism as inaccurate innuendo and media sensationalism, started by the British newspaper Private Eye and picked up by other papers and wire services.