Harold D. Martin

Harold Douglas "Doc" Martin (April 14, 1899 – March 23, 1945) was an American college football player and coach, and a Negro league baseball player. Martin served as the head football coach at Virginia Union University from 1921 to 1923, Shaw University from 1924 to 1926, and Virginia State University from 1927 to 1932, compiling a career a college football coaching record of 63–22–12.

Harold D. Martin

Biographical details
Born	(1899-04-14)April 14, 1899 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	March 23, 1945(1945-03-23) (aged 45) near Reidsville, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	Norwich University, 1916-1920
Playing career
Football
1916–1919	Norwich
Baseball
1921	Pittsburgh Keystones
Position(s)	Third baseman (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1921–1923	Virginia Union
1924–1926	Shaw
1927–1932	Virginia Normal/State
Basketball
1924–1927	Shaw
Baseball
1922–1924	Virginia Union
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1921–1924	Virginia Union
1924–1927	Shaw
Head coaching record
Overall	63–22–12 (football)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football 4 CIAA (1921, 1923, 1929, 1931) Basketball 1 CIAA (1927) Baseball 2 CIAA (1922, 1924) Tennis 2 CIAA (1926)

Biography

Martin began his playing career in 1916 when he became the first African American cadet in the history of Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.^[1][2][3]

Martin lettered in football, baseball, ice hockey, and track at Norwich. He later earned a master's degree at New York University and taught at Miner Teachers College—now known as the University of the District of Columbia. Martin was appointed the athletic director at Virginia Union University in 1921. He moved to Shaw University in 1924 as athletic director.^[4]

Martin was called into active military duty in 1942, serving as a major in the United States Army. He served as the director of the Ground School for the Tuskegee airmen in March of 1943, where he would serve until his death in 1945. Thanks in part to Martin's training, the Tuskegee Airmen became the elite unit they are known as today.

Shortly before the end of the war, Martin would die in an aircraft crash, on March 23, 1945, near Reidsville, North Carolina.^[5] Martin is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.^[6]

Time At Norwich

At Norwich University, Martin was the first black student to attend the University. He was a star football player, a hockey captain, a member of the baseball team, and a member of the student council. Martin gained respect among his peers, being elected as a captain to multiple teams.

While at Norwich, he is believed to have been the first black collegiate hockey player in the United States, just one of various firsts that he would accomplish through his life. He was the first black member of the Norwich University Athletic Hall of Fame, and just one of two members from his graduating class to be included.^[7]

A widely loved student, at Norwich many took inspiration from Martin and respected him as a member of various clubs and student organizations on campus. His time at Norwich left a mark on the University as they established the Harold "Doc" Martin '20 Memorial Scholarship to assist minority students with paying for college while at Norwich. Beyond that, Norwich established the Harold "Doc" Martin Society to promote acceptance, inclusivity, and diversity on campus.

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Virginia Union Panthers (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1921–1923)
1921	Virginia Union	6–0–2	3–0	1st
1922	Virginia Union	5–2	3–1	2nd
1923	Virginia Union	6–0–1	5–0	1st
Virginia Union:		17–2–3	11–1
Shaw Bears (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1924–1926)
1924	Shaw	1–2–2	1–2–1	6th
1925	Shaw	2–2–3	1–2–3	5th
1926	Shaw	1–7	0–7	8th
Shaw:		4–11–5	2–11–4
Virginia Normal/State Trojans (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1927–1932)
1927	Virginia Normal	6–3	2–4	5th
1928	Virginia State	9–1	7–1	2nd
1929	Virginia State	9–0	7–0	1st
1930	Virginia State	4–3–2	4–1–2	3rd
1931	Virginia State	8–0–1	6–0–1	T–1st
1932	Virginia State	6–2–1	6–1–1	T–2nd
Virginia Normal/State:		42–9–4	32–7–4
Total:		63–22–12