It's no secret that Howard Roark was loosely inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Interestingly enough, on a recent tour of Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Oak Park, IL, I encountered a park named after Henry W. Austin, a prominent Oak Park businessman and politician who was, at a minimum, still alive at the time when Frank Lloyd Wright started working in the area.
One of Howard Roark's major allies is, of course, Austen Heller.
I have been unable to ascertain how much of a connection there was between Henry Austin and Frank Lloyd Wright (beyond having lived in the area).
That being said, is there any evidence that the names were in any way connected, or is the resemblance likely a coincidence?
