Faces Behind the Places

Augustus Mason lived a life invested in the Indianapolis and Greencastle communities. Based in Indianapolis, Mason practiced law until his retirement in 1910. During his career, Mason served as DePauw University’s Dean of the School of Law and as a lecturer at the Indiana Law School. He went on to serve as President of the Citizen’s Street Railroad Company in Indianapolis, 1893-1897. Beyond his role as a lawyer, Mason was an accomplished author. He published several popular books, including Romance and Tragedy of Pioneer Life, and was as a long-time member, and even President, of the Indianapolis Literary Club. Holding a deep interest in city and business governance, Mason published multiple texts on the subject matter and served as a member of the Indianapolis Commercial Club and the Board of Trade. Mason’s largest contribution to Indianapolis was in 1891 when he was trusted with writing a new charter for the city.

 

Mason graduated Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw in 1879. His Master of Arts degree was awarded from DePauw in 1882. Mason’s position as the Dean of the School of Law was for one term, 1890-1893. That concluding year, Mason married Annie Porter. Mason maintained his commitment to DePauw as a Member of the Board of Trustees and Visitors from 1897-1909.

 

Mason left nearly his entire estate to DePauw, valued at $400,000. Using these funds, the trustees voted to build a new women’s residence hall, costing $300,000. Construction began in 1939 and the Hall opened for the fall semester of 1940.