Austin, Warren R.

Biography / Administrative History

Dr. Warren R. Austin (1911-1999) was personal physician to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor while the Duke was Governor of the Bahamas during World War II. After the end of the war, Dr. Austin moved to Montecito California, where he established his practice in the Montecito Medical Center in 1948, and married Florence Heath Horton Austin (1915-1991) in 1956. In 1956, Dr. and Mrs. Austin purchased the Val Verde estate in Montecito from Marjorie Buell. Val Verde, an Italianate mansion designed by Bertram Goodhue in 1893 for Henry Dater and added to by garden designer Lockwood de Forest for Wright Ludington, is considered one of the premier original Southern California estates. Dr. and Mrs. Austin expanded the estate from 9 to 17.4 acres.

In addition to his medical career, Dr. Austin was deeply involved in theater and music in Santa Barbara, bringing many performances to the city as director of Val Verde Productions, including, among others, The Bernard Shaw Story (1966) starring Bramwell Fletcher, Dear Liar (1967) starring Sally Goldwater, and Hamlet (1970), with Dame Judith Anderson in the title role. In the course of these activities and as a patron of the arts in Santa Barbara, Dr. Austin struck up important friendships with Dame Judith Anderson, British Theater administrator Michael Hallifax, and Zoe Caldwell, famed for her performance alongside Dame Judith Anderson in Medea. Dr. Austin was involved in the Broadway Theatre League of Santa Barbara and a patron of the Lobero Foundation, where he was instrumental in establishing the Dame Judith Anderson Fund.

Dr. Austin was the founder of the Canoe Island French Camp on Orcas Island, San Juan Islands, at which he served as camp physician.