Published September 14, 2017

Family of the Year

Austin, Jones and Campbell families to be honored at Homecoming
Miranda Jones, a 2017 Monmouth graduate, poses in front of a photo of her great-great-grandfather, T. Merrill Austin, in the College's Au...
Miranda Jones, a 2017 Monmouth graduate, poses in front of a photo of her great-great-grandfather, T. Merrill Austin, in the College’s Austin Hall.
 

MONMOUTH, Ill. – This year’s Family of the Year at Monmouth College – descendants of early music professor T. Merrill Austin – includes 14 alumni who are direct descendants, among them two trustees of the College.

For more than a century, the Austin, Jones and Campbell families have had a significant impact on Monmouth College through service, academic excellence, philanthropy and loyalty. They will be honored Nov. 3 as part of Homecoming festivities at the College.

As the longtime director of the Conservatory of Music (later the Department of Music), Austin elevated the College’s nascent vocal and instrumental programs to academic excellence and national prominence.

His granddaughter, Marion Austin Jones, served among the College’s first women trustees, and her son, F. Austin Jones, continues her legacy as one of the newest members of the College’s board of trustees. His daughter, Miranda Jones, was the latest in a long line of Jones family members to attend the College. The May graduate won awards as a co-editor of the Courier, the College’s student newspaper.

The Campbell branch of the family has been equally prolific in producing faithful and supportive Monmouth College alumni. Among its ranks is the late Timothy Campbell ’39, a member of the board of trustees for nine years.

Austin’s descendants will be honored, along with several other award recipients, at the Alumni Impact Awards, which will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 in Mellinger Commons in the Center for Science and Business.

Monmouth’s 2017 Homecoming will be Nov. 3-5. For more information about the weekend or to register, go to: monmouthcollege.edu/homecoming.
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