Remembering Austin Hill

by Rev. Robert Sirico • November 19, 2015

The Acton Institute lost a great friend last week.

I first met Austin Hill at 1997 an Acton Institute, Towards a Free and Virtuous Society conference held in Connecticut. Those conferences were designed to identify young future religious leaders with great potential. We invested well with Austin, who came to numerous of our events over the years. He would becom a radio host, author and public speaker and was most recently producing “Austin Hill’s Big World of Small Business,” a syndicated talk show about entrepreneurship and small-business ownership. The Idaho Statesman noted that Hill previously hosted “The Austin Hill Show” on KINF and was employed by IdahoReporter.com, an arm of the libertarian lobbying group the Idaho Freedom Foundation.

Having been a guest on Hill’s show a number of times over the years, I recall him as informed, inquisitive and professional

Austin died unexpectedly last Friday night probably from cardiac-related causes. He was a man committed to his family, the gospel of Christ and the promotion of the free society.

The Townhall website has a more extensive account of Austin’s accomplishments and you can see some of his columns here.

Austin had many things left to accomplish in life, but the Sovereign Lord whom Austin served knew he could perhaps accomplish them better in another way.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that gifts be sent to a college fund for his son, Graham, a high school senior. To find out more about that, click here.

Requiescat in pace.

Rev. Robert Sirico

Rev. Robert A. Sirico received his Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic University of America, following undergraduate study at the University of Southern California and the University of London. During his studies and early ministry, he experienced a growing concern over the lack of training religious studies students receive in fundamental economic principles, leaving them poorly equipped to understand and address today's social problems. As a result of these concerns, Fr. Sirico co-founded the Acton Institute with Kris Alan Mauren in 1990. As president of the Acton Institute, Fr. Sirico lectures at colleges, universities, and business organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. His writings on religious, political, economic, and social matters are published in a variety of journals, including: the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the London Financial Times, the Washington Times, the Detroit News, and National Review. Fr. Sirico is often called upon by members of the broadcast media for statements regarding economics, civil rights, and issues of religious concern, and has provided commentary for CNN, ABC, the BBC, NPR, and CBS' 60 Minutes, among others. In April of 1999, Fr. Sirico was awarded an honorary doctorate in Christian Ethics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and in May of 2001, Universidad Francisco Marroquin awarded him an honorary doctorate in Social Sciences. He is a member of the prestigious Mont Pèlerin Society, the American Academy of Religion, and the Philadelphia Society, and is on the Board of Advisors of the Civic Institute in Prague. Father Sirico also served on the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1994 to 1998. He is also currently serving on the pastoral staff of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fr. Sirico's pastoral ministry has included a chaplaincy to AIDS patients at the National Institute of Health and the recent founding of a new community, St. Philip Neri House in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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