Edward Martin (Pennsylvania politician)

Ed Martin
Ed Martin
United States Senator; from Pennsylvania
	In office; January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959
Preceded by	Joe Guffey
Succeeded by	Hugh Scott
Chair of the National Governors Association
	In office; July 1, 1945 – May 26, 1946
Preceded by	Herbert Maw
Succeeded by	Millard Caldwell
32nd Governor of Pennsylvania
	In office; January 19, 1943 – January 2, 1947
Lieutenant	John Bell
Preceded by	Arthur James
Succeeded by	John Bell
58th Treasurer of Pennsylvania
	In office; January 15, 1929 – January 17, 1933
Governor	John Fisher; Gifford Pinchot
Preceded by	Charles Snyder
Succeeded by	Sam Lewis
Chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party
	In office; May 12, 1928 – June 9, 1934
Preceded by	William Mellon
Succeeded by	Harvey Taylor
23rd Auditor General of Pennsylvania
	In office; January 20, 1925 – January 15, 1929
Governor	Gifford Pinchot; John Fisher
Preceded by	Sam Lewis
Succeeded by	Charles A. Waters
Personal details
Born	September 18, 1879; Ten Mile, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 19, 1967 (aged 87); Washington, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary Scott (1909–1967)
Children	3
Education	Waynesburg University (BA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army Pennsylvania Army National Guard;
Years of service	1898–1942
Rank	Major general
Commands	109th Infantry Regiment; 110th Infantry Regiment; 55th Infantry Brigade; 28th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War; Border War; World War I; World War II

Edward Martin (September 18, 1879 – March 19, 1967) was an American lawyer, military officer and Republican party politician from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. He served as the 32nd governor of Pennsylvania from 1943 until 1947 and as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1947 until 1959.

Biography

Early life and military service

Martin was born in Ten Mile, Pennsylvania, on September 18, 1879, attending public schools in his youth. He served with Pennsylvania volunteers during the Spanish–American War from May 11, 1898, to August 22, 1899, and reached the rank of sergeant.^[1] He studied law and graduated from Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, in 1901. He served as physical director and football coach at Waynesburg in 1909.^[2]

Martin enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard after the Spanish-American War at his former rank of sergeant, and later became an officer. He was promoted to first lieutenant on January 15, 1900, to captain on July 11, 1905, and to major on July 6, 1910. The Pennsylvania National Guard was mobilized for the Mexican Border Expedition in 1916, and Martin was on active duty from June 22 to October 27, 1916. When the United States entered World War I, Martin went on active duty again on July 15, 1917. During the war, Martin commanded the 109th Infantry Regiment from September 6–9, 1918 (being promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel on September 9) and the 110th Infantry Regiment from September 7 to October 14, 1918.^[3]^[4] For valor and wounds received in combat, Martin earned a Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart, both with oak leaf clusters. He left active duty after the Armistice, on April 25, 1919.^[5]

On July 29, 1920, Martin was promoted to colonel in the Pennsylvania National Guard, and became the first post-war commander of the 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, a position he held from that date until August 17, 1922.^[6]^[7] On December 15, 1922, Martin was promoted to brigadier general and assumed command of the 55th Infantry Brigade, 28th Division.^[8]^[9] On June 26, 1939, he became a major general and commander of the 28th Division.^[10]^[11] After the United States entered World War II, Major General Martin was retired on April 1, 1942, because of Army regulations concerning over-age officers.

He was also president of the National Guard Association of the United States in 1940.

Career in law and politics

Martin was admitted to the bar in 1905 and commenced practice in Waynesburg. He was a burgess of East Waynesburg from 1902 to 1905, solicitor of Greene County from 1908 to 1910 and again from 1916 to 1920. He served as auditor general of Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1929 and State treasurer from 1929 to 1933. He chaired the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania from 1928 to 1934.^[12]^[13] He was adjutant general of Pennsylvania from 1939 to 1943. He had varied business interests, including fire insurance, oil and gas, and banking.

Martin was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in November 1942. He served as president of the Council of State Governments in 1946 and was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in the same year. In 1947, Martin received the American Legion's Distinguished Service Medal.^[14] Martin was re-elected to the Senate in 1952. During the Eighty-third Congress from 1953 to 1955, when the Republicans were in the majority, he was chairman of the Committee on Public Works. Martin voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.^[15] Martin did not seek re-nomination to a third term in 1958. He died in Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1967 and is buried at Greene Mount Cemetery in Waynesburg.

Fort Indiantown Gap

Martin was prominent in the development of Fort Indiantown Gap and after his death, the United States Senate renamed the facility the Edward Martin Military Reservation, an honor that Martin himself had rejected throughout his life. The new name was never fully accepted by the military personnel who served there. In 1975, the Secretary of the Army renamed the post Fort Indiantown Gap in order to more closely align it with the other active duty stations throughout the United States. The Joint Force Headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Guard is located at Fort Indiantown Gap, and is named Edward Martin Hall in Martin's honor.

Edward Martin Memorial Library at NGAUS

The Library at the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) is dedicated to Martin and is named the Edward Martin Memorial Library. While not a circulating library, it serves as one of the foremost collections of National Guard documents and is ideal for researchers. Original volumes include a complete collection of NGAUS Conference minutes dating to 1879 and Adjutant General (TAG) Reports dating to the early 20th Century. The Library may be found in the National Guard Memorial Building, One Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington DC 20001. The Edward Martin Memorial Library is managed and maintained by the National Guard Educational Foundation (NGEF).

References

^ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 1,102.
^ "Waynesburg's Schedule". Pittsburg Daily Post. September 28, 1909. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
^ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 1,102.
^ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 410.
^ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 1,102.
^ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 1,102.
^ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 410.
^ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 1,102.
^ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 310.
^ Official National Guard Register for 1939. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1939. p. 1,102.
^ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press. pp. 221–222.
^ Armstrong, Robert B. (May 12, 1928). "Mellon to Get Keystone Vote". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 12, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
^ Townley, John B. (June 8, 1934). "Martin Gives Up Chairman Post, Recommends Taylor". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
^ "Distinguished Service Medal Recipients | Page 8 | the American Legion".
^ "HR. 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.

United States Congress. "Edward Martin (id: M000177)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

Generals of World War II

Political offices
Preceded by Sam Lewis	Auditor General of Pennsylvania 1925–1929	Succeeded by Charles A. Waters
Preceded by Charles Snyder	Treasurer of Pennsylvania 1929–1933	Succeeded by Sam Lewis
Preceded by Arthur James	Governor of Pennsylvania 1943–1947	Succeeded by John Bell
Preceded by Herbert Maw	Chair of the National Governors Association 1945–1946	Succeeded by Millard Caldwell
Party political offices
Preceded by William Mellon	Chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party 1928–1934	Succeeded by Harvey Taylor
Preceded by Arthur James	Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania 1942	Succeeded by Jim Duff
Preceded by Jay Cooke	Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (Class 1) 1946, 1952	Succeeded by Hugh Scott
Military offices
New office	Commanding General 28th Infantry Division 1941	Succeeded by Garesche Ord
U.S. Senate
Preceded by Joe Guffey	United States Senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania 1947–1959 Served alongside: Francis Myers, Jim Duff, Joseph Clark	Succeeded by Hugh Scott
Preceded by Dennis Chávez	Chair of the Senate Public Work Committee 1953–1955	Succeeded by Dennis Chávez