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September 4, 2025

Nine Iconic Austinites You Should Know (But Probably Don't)

City Cast Austin

Nine Iconic Austinites You Should Know (But Probably Don't)

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Every day, you drive on streets, bridges, and past buildings named after Austinites who did something amazing — and chances are, you have no idea who they are. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined today by Adam Powell, the executive director of the Austin History Center Association, who shares the stories behind some of Austin’s namesakes, like the newspaper man who helped bring The University of Texas to Austin, the World War II vet-turned magician who made incredible clothing, the man who successfully challenged the so-called Hollywood blacklist, and the alderman who died in the fight to rename 19th Street after Martin Luther King, Jr. The Austin History Center has been undergoing renovations, and reopens this weekend with an event on Sunday, Sept. 7

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