Arthur O. Austin

Arthur O. Austin
Austin in 1933
Born	(1879-12-28)December 28, 1879 Stockton, California, U.S.
Died	June 7, 1964(1964-06-07) (aged 84) Barberton, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	Leland Stanford University
Occupation	Engineer
Known for	Austin transformer
Engineering career
Discipline	Electrical

Arthur Oswin Austin (December 28, 1879 – June 7, 1964) was an American electrical engineer and inventor. He is best known as the inventor of the Austin transformer, a double-ring toroidal transformer used to supply power for lighting circuits on radio towers. Austin's research included improvements to radio transmission equipment and the effects of lightning on high-voltage transmission lines and aircraft. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and of the Institute of Radio Engineers, and was known as an expert in high-voltage insulators and fittings. His work on transmitting antennas included both military and civilian projects.

A native of California, Austin graduated from Leland Stanford University with a degree in electrical engineering. He lived for a few years in New York where he worked for General Electric and the Lima Insulator Company, but spent most of his adult life in Ohio where he married, worked for the Ohio Brass Company and founded the Austin Insulator Company. He bought a large estate in Barberton, Ohio, lived in the mansion, and built an extensive outdoor electrical laboratory on the grounds.