By Eric Hughes. I am the proud offspring of Anguillian immigrants who migrated to Perth Amboy, NJ and I am sharing our story for posterity. Eric Hughes can be reached at richughes3741@gmail.com

Austin E. Gumbs

And now I proudly present the outstanding and historical stories, careers and talent of these pioneering young men, spear-headed by their dedicated Anguillian immigrant parents.

PART II

Austin E. Gumbs -– President, Junior Class of 1949; and President, Senior Class of 1950. Austin E. Gumbs was born and raised in Perth Amboy and was the third son of William Alexander and Edith Gertrude (Richardson) Gumbs of Crocus Bay and The Valley, Anguilla, who migrated to the US around 1910.  Austin wholeheartedly agreed that his Anguillian background played a major role in helping him reach his goals and objectives.  For example, he mentioned to me several years ago in an interview that “a very strong independent thinking atmosphere pervaded our home.  We were forever reminded to respect ourselves as well as others.  Our parents worked hard to support us, and I know this was because of their traditional Anguillian upbringing.  We were expected to strive to better ourselves and not to depend on others. Education was stressed with no other option permitted.”  

Austin excelled in high school by getting excellent grades and participating in numerous school activities that demonstrated his leadership and artistic skills.  He was a poet, playwright and theatrical director who wrote his junior and senior class plays, “Through the Years,” and “Home Again Kathleen.”  At a later date, he also wrote several other plays and original songs, including a comedy play entitled, “Young Summer,” that was produced by the Perth Amboy Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  Later on, he wrote several original songs including “Anguilla My Island, Anguilla My Home.” 

Austin was a member of the school chorus, track team and sports editor of the school.  As a result of his outstanding multiplicity of academic, artistic and athletic skills, Austin’s class members elected him both Junior Class President of 1949 and Senior Class President of 1950, to lead them to reach their goals and objectives. 

He completed his undergraduate education from Bowie State University in Maryland, was awarded an MA from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, and he also pursued advanced studies at the universities of New York, Rutgers, Kean State, in addition to gner College.

Austin had an illustrious career in the field of education. He started in 1954 as a 6th and 7th grade teacher at Perth Amboy School No. 5; 1959-1969 as a teacher, and Poet, Playwright and Theatrical Director at Perth Amboy High School; and during 1967 served as Vice Principal of Perth Amboy School No. 10 (currently the Dr. HRichardson School); as Principal of Perth Amboy School No. 2 in 1969 (currently Ceres School).  The City of New Brunswick in 1970 hired Austin as Principal of Redshaw Junior High School. 

Austin was known for a number of “firsts” in the educational arena.  He was the first African American high school teacher in Perth Amboy when he taught English from 1959-1969,  he was hired in 1972 as the first African American Principal in Highland Park High School, NJ. His tenure in Highland Park was followed by the appointment in 1976 as the first African American Superintendent of schools in Highland Park and Middlesex County.  In 1980, he was appointed the first African American Superintendent of schools in Willingboro, NJ.

He also became in 1972 the first and only African American official elected to the City Council in Perth Amboy.  Moreover, Austin served a number of years as President of the Perth Amboy Board of Education.

He was inducted into the Perth Amboy High School Hall of Fame (NJ) in 1989, as one of its distinguished graduates and was also named Distinguished Alumnus of Bowie State University that same year.

I recall one of Austin’s proudest international moments occurred in 1967, when as President of the Anguilla Improvement Association, he accompanied, the legendary late Jeremiah (Jerry) Gumbs, an Anguillian also from Perth Amboy, and the late first Chief Minister Hon. Ronald Webster of the Government of Anguilla to the United Nations in Manhattan, NYC.  The purpose of the visit was to discuss Anguilla’s plight in the dispute with the former colony of (St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla).  They were also received at the Pan American Union in Washington, DC and subsequently flew to San Francisco to meet with individuals interested in assisting Anguilla during their struggle to secede from the former colony of Saint Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla.