The previous entries in the ongoing series of the life and legacy of Harold "Doc" Martin, Norwich University class of 1920, have only scratched the surface of his exemplary achievements and virtuous, rich life. A multi-sport athlete, a National Championship-winning coach, a magnificent teacher, a Tuskegee Airman, and a loving husband, and those five are just the start.
Despite his sudden passing in 1945, Martin's memory has stood the test of time, courtesy of those who have accepted the weight of carrying his legacy.
Martin was at the forefront of Norwich's thoughts when the athletic department opened its Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983, earning induction a year later in 1984 and becoming the first Black athlete inducted at Norwich University.
Virginia Union University, where Martin was the head football coach and athletic director from 1922 to 1924 and led VUU to its first National Championship in 1923, followed suit decades later, honoring Martin with an induction in 2013, 90 years after the national title.
Martin's fingerprints are still all over Norwich, especially to this day. He is the namesake of the Harold "Doc" Martin Society, a multicultural student group that promotes a community of acceptance, inclusiveness, and diversity on campus.
Most recently, Norwich University established the Harold "Doc" Martin '20 Memorial Scholarship in 2021, which is awarded to "talented minority students with financial need attending Norwich" and honors Norwich's "first black graduate and Tuskegee Airman" (Norwich University).
The significance of the scholarship and its impact was magnified just this month, as on Thursday, Feb. 9, 150 alumni, parents, students, and friends gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. for the first annual Harold "Doc" Martin Norwich University Class of 1920 scholarship benefit dinner.
The event raised $200,000 for the scholarship and featured live and silent auctions and a video message from Brig. Gen. Woody Woodhouse, who served as a Tuskegee Airman with Martin. Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, superintendent of VMI, was the guest speaker.
The event was a success thanks to the efforts of the scholarship committee: Maj. Gen. Cedric D. George, USAF (RET) '87, Anthony Johnson '94, Lowell Price '93, and Tonya Thorne '94. Willie Wright '93 is the committee chair and emceed the benefit dinner.
Martin's reach is nothing short of breathtaking – from his time as a teacher and administrator, where he tried to break barriers in the collegiate world, "he often said that life in a college would never become what it should be until faculty and students learn to bridge the gap that had been built up between them. This was a part of his philosophy. He participated freely and fully in all phases of the college life. He loved to sing and enjoyed training the men in a glee club and playing his violin at student affairs" (Varsity).
The abrupt death of Martin was nothing short of a shock to his community, but the remembrance of his time and efforts has also been nothing short of inspirational and extraordinary.
From the Varsity tribute: "And so when the news of his death came, we knew that Miner (Teachers College) had suffered a calamity – we knew that his loss was irreparable. Major Martin was a great coach, an inspiring teacher, and a grand person. It is hard to understand why he should be taken at this time, when he was so sorely needed and when he had so much to give. We must believe that somehow, somewhere in the Great Scheme of Things the spirit of Harold Martin lives on!"
