Ralph A. Austen, a noted scholar of African Studies, passed away on August 23 at the age of 87. Austen was a professor emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Chicago and played a pivotal role in establishing the African Studies Workshop at UChicago over four decades ago.
"The study of Africa at the University of Chicago, to the extent that it has been established and it has developed, that's due to Ralph," said former student Michael Gomez, now a professor of History and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies at New York University.
"It has grown, it has stabilized — and that was Ralph's work," agreed Assoc. Prof. Emily Lynn Osborn, who succeeded Austen in the department as a historian of Africa. "Austen launched the Africanist tradition at UChicago, and it is one that continues to thrive, in the department and beyond."
Austen was also known for his generosity with time and encouragement towards both students and colleagues to think comparatively and engage with broad questions. Jennifer Cole, professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development, described Austen as "very Chicago old-school" and recalled his regular attendance at UChicago workshops.
"Ralph was just an incredibly good colleague," she said. "He was tremendously erudite."
Born on January 9, 1937, in Leipzig, Germany, Austen left his birthplace when he was two years old. His father secured visas for the family to leave Germany during Nazi persecution by convincing authorities he did not fit their profile. The family lived briefly in Sweden before moving to New York in 1940 where they changed their last name to Austen.
Austen earned degrees from Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He began his academic career as an assistant professor of history at New York University before joining UChicago's Department of History as an assistant professor in 1967 — becoming its first tenure-track historian focused on Africa.
His early writings emphasized Africa’s rich history independent from European colonization, critical for understanding modern African nation-states' emergence. Over six decades, Austen authored or co-authored seven books and published over 100 scholarly articles spanning economic, imperial, and cultural history with comparative analyses involving Europe and India.
Former student James M. Vaughn praised Austen's extensive expertise: “Ralph was both a ‘scholar's scholar,’...and a Renaissance intellectual...he read widely, thought deeply.”
Austen’s contributions included founding UChicago’s African Studies Workshop which facilitated interdisciplinary graduate training across social sciences and humanities disciplines.
Paul Cheney from UChicago's Department of History recalled Austen's sociable nature: "He encouraged me to think comparatively...he had an amazing memory." Colleagues remember his active lifestyle including cycling year-round to university appointments.
Austen resided with his wife Ernestine in South Shore’s Jackson Park Highlands neighborhood for fifty years where they raised their sons Jacob and Ben. He participated actively in community organizations including teaching English through Hyde Park Refugee Project.
"He was an intellectual: deeply curious...but this is someone who knew how to put his work in its proper place," Cheney added.
Ralph A. Austen is survived by his wife Ernestine; sons Jacob and Ben; daughters-in-law Jacqueline Stewart and Danielle Austen; grandchildren Maiya, Lusia, Noble and Jonah; and sister Judith.
—Adapted from an article first published by the Division of Social Sciences.