Guide to the Herbert Woodward Martin Papers, RG 186
Processed and Listed by: Dieter C. Ullrich
Date: June 2004
Size:
1.5 cubic feet; 22 items.
Number of Boxes:
3 document boxes.
Type of material:
Personal works.
Physical condition:
Good.
Arrangement:
Arranged by title of work.
Historical or Biographical Sketch:
Herbert Woodward Martin is a prize-winning poet and performer, an actor and
playwright, a singer and opera librettist, a professor, and a scholar. Born in Alabama in 1933 Martin and his family moved to
Toledo, Ohio, when Herbert was twelve years old. His parents appreciated literature and music and saw to it that their young
son was immersed in the arts. Martin began to write poetry during his undergraduate years at the University of Toledo. Dr.
Martin is the current poet-in-residence and a professor emeritus of English at the University of Dayton in Ohio. He earned
his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toledo in 1964, his Master of Arts at the State Univeristy of New York at Buffalo
in 1967 and his Ph.D. at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1979. He has published four volumes of poetry and his work has
appeared in various anthologies. Martin is also an accomplished actor and director. His main research interest has been Paul
Laurence Dunbar a late-nineteenth century African American poet.
Scope and Content:
Consists of various programs where Martin recited his or Thomas Dunbar's works. It
contains working drafts or finished drafts of Martin's poetry, which covers topics such as his mother dying of cancer and
people dying of AIDS. The collection has some of his works that were published during his time in college in student
literary journals. Finally, the collection has Martin's director's book from a play he directed and newspaper and magazine
articles written about Dr. Martin, as well as programs and brochures pertaining to various events.