(See a list of past Distinguished Citizens at the bottom of this article.)
He was raised by a single mother, living in an apartment on Main Street.
He earned money shining shoes on the porch of the old Elks Club at one corner of Third and Main, working at the old YMCA on another corner and as a paper boy, delivering newspapers downtown, including to customers in the many saloons that once dotted the Central Business District.
He went on to become publisher of The Gleaner, then served three terms as mayor of Henderson in addition to serving on numerous community boards and capital campaigns.
On Monday night, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce named Steve Austin its Distinguished Citizen of the Year.
“He is known for his love of Henderson, and proves it every day,” award presenter Linda White of Deaconess Hospital said.
Born in 1945, young Steve Austin could certainly be characterized as a downtown kid. It was there that nearly all of his earliest memories were formed, though he did venture slightly out of downtown to attend and graduate from Holy Name School.
Known to people of a certain age by his nickname, “Hot Shot,” Austin was 19 years old in 1964 when then-Gleaner publisher Walt Dear hired him based on a single question: “Do you know how to type?”
That earned him a night job typing up ballgame scores at the old Gleaner-Journal building at 216-218 N. Elm St. He joined the Gleaner fulltime in 1968, and was named sports editor the following year. In 1974, eager to earn more money, he became an advertising salesman.
He earned promotions to advertising manager in 1977, general manager in 1982 and publisher in 1987, which included oversight of the former Audubon Printers, several weekly newspapers and a radio station that were all owned by Dear.
In all, Austin spent more than 40 years with The Gleaner during a time when it was regularly recognized by the Kentucky Press Association as the best of its size in the state for both news coverage and advertising excellence. He was elected president of the Kentucky Press Association in 1988.
Though long active in various civic affairs, Austin’s participation in the public sector began in 2007-2011 while he chaired the Henderson Water Utility board. It was during that time that the utility faced the monumental task of the federally mandated separation of antiquated sanitary sewer-stormwater lines downtown. Though the construction phase was painful for downtown businesses, Austin’s efforts to secure funding helped ease the sting of the project for ratepayers.
At about the same time, he began writing a column for The Gleaner that often included his memories of former downtown landmarks ranging from Kentucky Bakery, where as a youngster he would spend a little of his hard-earned money for tasty treats, to the colorful old Kingdon Hotel.
But in January 2010, he discontinued his column and retired as publisher to run for mayor. He won that race, took office in 2011 and served for 12 years until compelled by state term limits to retire.
Early on as mayor, Austin partnered with then-Henderson County Judge-Executive Hugh McCormick to form the City-County Co-op Committee, on which city and county representatives met monthly to address community issues.
“He proved to naysayers that city and county governments can work together,” White said.
Austin was supportive of the Community Vision Plan process in which citizens from diverse backgrounds shaped a blueprint for the community’s aspirations. That led to development of the Downtown Master Plan to envision the downtown renaissance that is ongoing.
“He has worked tirelessly on various boards and campaigns,” White noted.
That has included Austin’s work on capital campaigns to fund St. Anthony’s Hospice’s Lucy Smith King Center at the hospital, the Henderson County Public Library’s most recent expansion, the Christian Community Outreach building, the Henderson Community College BuildSmart Campaign and the ongoing construction of the sports park on Airline Road.
Additionally, he has served on the boards of the former Methodist Hospital, the Deaconess Advisory Board, the College Foundation Inc., the former Kyndle organization, the Kentucky League of Cities and the Green River Area Development District. Since retiring as mayor, he has returned to the HWU board.
“It is important to add to this list Steve’s board role on the former Methodist Hospital,” White said. “Health care has changed over the years. Steve was one of those that recognized the need to form a partnership to preserve, grow and continue health care right here in Henderson. Thus, the partnership with Deaconess was created and today our health care is Deaconess Henderson Hospital. That is another ‘Wow’ in my books!”
Austin has been honored multiple times, such as receiving the Kentucky League of Cities’ 2018 Elected Official of the Year award, the Downtown Henderson Partnership’s Heart of Henderson award and the Henderson Rotary Club’s Hometown Hero Award.
Austin “is respected and admired by everyone in this room,” White said.
“We are fortunate to have Steve’s leadership, integrity, honesty, collaborative skills and work ethic in Henderson,” she said.
“I’m honored to be recognized with this,” Austin said in accepting the honor.
“I found out that the key to success in the community, or in business, is to have good people, the right people, in the right spot,” he said.
“That’s the way it was in my years at The Gleaner. We had 85% penetration in household delivery. The Kentucky Press Association gave The Gleaner the (General Excellence Award) 13 years in a row (while he was publisher).
“It was the same thing in my 12 years with the city,” Austin said, commending City Manager Buzzy Newman and City Attorney Dawn Kelsey in particular. “But we had lots of the right people in the right spots.”
Ultimately, Austin said, “I’m proud to be from Henderson.”
He added: “I’m proud to have shined shoes on the porch of the Elks Club.”
Henderson Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen of the Year recipients
1957 Frank Delker. Sr
1958 Robert B. Posey
1959 Benjamin Bernstein
1960 Hecht Lackey
1961 Sam Lambert
1962 Elmer Korth
1963 R.A. Hughes
1965 J.K. “Doc” Hosbach
1967 Hugh Edward Sandefur
1968 Evelyn Edwards Thomas
1969 Forrest R. Thomas
1970 Mr. and Mrs. William Hieb
1971 James “Snoz” Davis
1972 Rev. Austin Bell
1973 Thomas A. Glover
1974 Dr. Julian Cole
1975 Hallie Lindsay
1976 Mrs. C.B. West, Sr.
1977 Rev. Lyman Smith Allen
1978 Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Buchanan
1979 G.L. Utley
1980 Ralph G. Hays
1981 Donald L. Harrison
1982 Virginia Kellen
1983 Lorene Wayne
1984 Thelma B. Johnson
1985 Robert A. Snyder
1986 Frank Cusic
1987 Richard S. Staples
1988 Dudley Everson
1989 Maralea Arnett
1990 Ronald Chapman
1991 William “Bill” Edwards
1992 Walter Dear
1993 Dr. John A. Logan
1994 Charles Shade
1995 Mary Ann McClure
1996 William T. “Sonny” Burton
1997 Jim Hayes
1998 Eddie Davis
1999 Raymond B. Preston
2000 Dr. Bill Newman
2001 Roy N. Pullam
2002 Dale Sights
2003 Leo King, Jr.
2004 Bill Sullivan
2005 Dr. John Jenkins
2006 Richard Pendergraft
2007 Father Ed Bradley
2008 Larry Bennett
2009 Rev. John Conn
2010 Dr. Thomas and Jo Logan
2011 Herman Alles and Mary Frances Alles
2012 Joan Hoffman
2013 Scott Davis
2014 Chase Fulcher
2015 Chuck and Donna Stinnett
2016 Bob Mitchell
2017 Ella Thomas
2018 Jim Hanley
2019 Larry, Donnie and Gary Barnes
2020 John Marshall
2021 Joel R. Hopper
2022 Bob Park
2023 Phyllis Duncan Crafton
2024 Steve Austin
