Theodore Roe Austin grew up in Greenwood, Mississippi, the son of a general practitioner. He came to Vanderbilt University in 1925, received the BA in 1929, and his MD in 1932. From Vanderbilt he went to Rochester General Hospital (1932-1935) to serve a general surgery residency. Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Austin entered the Navy. After service in China prior to World War II and service in the Mediterranean and Aleutians during the war, he was assigned to Walter Reed Hospital in 1947, and he spent the remainder of his career there (1947-1961), rising to Assistant Chief, Division of Pathology, AFIP, under Dr. Ernest W. Goodpasture. Dr. Austin died in 1964 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.