Ellsworth Hunt Augustus

Ellsworth Hunt Augustus (November 23, 1897 – May 16, 1964) was an American businessman from Cleveland, Ohio who served as the tenth National president of the Boy Scouts of America. He lived in Waite Hill, Ohio with his wife, Elizabeth Good Augustus until his death in May 1964.

Biography

He was born on November 23, 1897 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ellsworth, or Gus, as he known to friends and family, was a larger than life character whose golf skills were on par with professionals of his day—once beating the Legendary Bobby Jones at a charity golf event. He was characterized in a 1920 issue of Vanity Fair magazine as being the country's most powerful driver off the tee, demonstrating his golf swing in a series of time lapse photos.

Gus and his wife, "Betty," went on to have four children, the late Daneen (Hitchcock), and their only son, the late, Albert Anthony Augustus II, Elizabeth (Betsy), and Margaret (Peggy). As of this writing (April 2012), all but Betsy are still alive. Among their grandchildren are Daniel Hitchcock, a nuclear physicist, Eric Hitchcock, a Navy Top-Gun pilot was killed in a mid-air collision in 1988, Darcy Hitchcock, Ellsworth Hunt Augustus II, a marine researcher, graphic designer, and author of WWII-based novels, Diane, a homemaker and mother of three adult children, Linda Taft, a Psychological Counselor, as well as a mother of three, and Wendy Augustus, who owns a successful transportation business in Chicago.

He served for four years during World War II on active duty as an officer in the United States Navy Reserve aboard the troop ship, USS West Point, which was converted from the ocean liner America.

In 1950 he was appointed as the Cuyahoga County coordinator of Civil Defense at the request of Cleveland Mayor Thomas A. Burke and the county commissioners. Although Augustus and his staff had little experience with civil defense and limited guidance from the federal government, the civil defense organization soon developed organiza- tional plans for a county-wide program that called for "tens of thousands of volunteers" to be "the county's defense troops."

Augustus hoped to train one member from each family in Cuyahoga County, or 375,000 people, in first aid. Further volunteer opportunities included 30,000 to 40,000 air raid war- dens, 5,000 police auxiliary officers, and 3,000 auxiliary firemen. Local schools also participated in the civil defense program. In February 1951, Cleveland school officials sent a letter to all parents describing the civil de- fense efforts in schools. Some schools taught their students how to protect themselves by ducking under their desks and covering their heads — the well-known "Duck and Cover" technique.^[1]

He was elected president of the Boy Scouts of America in 1959 and served for five years until 1964. His service to the Scout movement included participating in the 11th World Scout Jamboree at Marathon, Greece, and 19th World Conference on the Isle of Rhodes. During 1964, he made an official visit to the Far East Council of the Boy Scouts of America with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and conferred with leaders of Scout associations in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

Albert A. Augustus

2 April 1925- 19 July 2013)

Born in Cleveland, Albert had attended both University School in Shaker Heights and Choate School in Wallingford, Conn.Albert also received his education from The Rochester Institute of Technology, The Cleveland College of Western Reserve University and the Alexander Hamilton Institute of Modern Business. He served in the U.S. Air Corps from 1943 through 1946.

Albert became associated with Ball, Burge and Kraus as a registered representative in 1950 and was admitted as a general partner in 1953. He was managing partner from 1964 to 1970 and senior partner from 1970 to 1973. Albert became chairman of the board of Prescott, Ball and Turbin in July 1973 as the result of the merger of Ball, Burge, Kraus and Prescott, Merrill, Turbin and Company. In 1975, he became a limited partner. He had served on the boards or as a trustee to Robinson-Ransbottom Pottery Co., Kilroy Co. of Texas, and The Association of Stock Exchange Firms and was a member of The 50 Club of Cleveland and The Cleveland Society of Security Analysts. Albert was an honorary life member of The Greater Cleveland Council of The Boy Scouts of America, a former president, treasurer and current trustee emeritus of the Cuyahoga Valley Preservation and Scenic Railroad Association and a member of the Corporation of Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights. In 1978, Albert ran the REVCO Marathon in four hours and 28 minutes!

He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth A. Augustus (née Hurlock). He was the dear father of Wendy A. Augustus (George Parker) of Deerfield, Ill., Ellsworth Hunt Augustus of Coral Gables, Fla., Diane H. Augustus of Moreland Hills and Linda E. Augustus of Pepper Pike; grandfather of six; and brother of Peggy Augustus of Keswick, Va.

Scouting

He began his scouting service in 1940 and served as vice president (1941–46) and president (1947–53) of the Greater Cleveland Council. He joined the National Executive Board in 1950 serving as chairman of Region 4 from 1956 to 1959. Augustus received the Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope awards in 1951 and the Silver Buffalo Award in 1954.

Legacy

• He was an honorary brother of Alpha Phi Omega.^[2] He was also an avid golfer. In 1967 the Boy Scouts of America opened the Ellsworth H. Augustus International Scout House on the grounds of the former national office in North Brunswick, New Jersey until closing in 1979 with the move of the office to Irving, Texas.^[3][4] The twelfth sub camp at the 2001 National Scout Jamboree was named in his honor.

References

See also