Harold Martin (New Jersey politician)
Encyclopedia
Harold Martin was an American Democratic Party
politician who served a single term on the Bergen County, New Jersey
Board of Chosen Freeholders
and was elected to three terms in the New Jersey General Assembly
, where he represented the 39th Legislative District
.
and moved with his family as a child Brooklyn
where he attended New Utrecht High School
. He attended both the University of Missouri
and the University of Arizona
, before attending Rutgers University
where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees with majors in political science and economics. He later took courses in government at the New School for Social Research
. He enlisted in the United States Army
in 1943, where he ultimately achieved the rank of second lieutenant, serving in counterintelligence and in the design of amphibious assault vehicle
s.
After completing his military service, Martin worked as a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
and as an editor for the Shell Oil Company
. He worked as a sales representative selling electronics and spent two years on Wall Street as an account executive at Shearson, Hammill & Co.
He started attending council meetings in his hometown of Cresskill, New Jersey
and was chosen for a seat on the borough's planning board in addition to being chosen to serve on the Bergen County Planning Board. Harold Martin has four children and eight grandchildren.
Brendan Byrne
recalled in an interview following Martin's death that "he not only supported [state income tax], he believed in it". Martin also supported legislation to protect the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
and sponsored a bill to increase the amount of state loans offered to students in graduate school. He unsuccessfully advocated on behalf of a bill he sponsored to make willemite
the official state mineral of New Jersey and Palisades diabase
as the state rock, though by the time of his death New Jersey had still not chosen an official mineral or rock as many other states have. The Assembly passed a bill sponsored in 1977 by Martin, a former smoker, prohibiting smoking while in the Assembly chambers or during committee meetings.
A longtime resident of Cresskill, Martin died at the age of 92 on October 19, 2010. He was survived by his wife, the former Reba Lerner, as well as by their two daughters, two sons and eight grandchildren.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician who served a single term on the Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
and was elected to three terms in the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
, where he represented the 39th Legislative District
39th Legislative District (New Jersey)
New Jersey's 39th Legislative District is one of 40 in the state, including portions of Bergen County and Passaic County. Included are the Bergen County municipalities of: Closter Borough, Demarest Borough, Dumont Borough, Emerson Borough, Harrington Park Borough, Haworth Borough, Hillsdale...
.
Biography
Martin was born in West New York, New JerseyWest New York, New Jersey
West New York is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 49,708.-Geography:...
and moved with his family as a child Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
where he attended New Utrecht High School
New Utrecht High School
New Utrecht High School is a coeducational public high school in Brooklyn, New York City, serving 3,114 pupils. It is part of New York City Region 7....
. He attended both the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
and the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, before attending Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees with majors in political science and economics. He later took courses in government at the New School for Social Research
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
. He enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1943, where he ultimately achieved the rank of second lieutenant, serving in counterintelligence and in the design of amphibious assault vehicle
Amphibious Assault Vehicle
The Assault Amphibious Vehicle —official designation AAV-7A1 is a fully tracked amphibious landing vehicle manufactured by U.S. Combat Systems .The AAV-7A1 is the current amphibious troop transport of the United States Marine Corps...
s.
After completing his military service, Martin worked as a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. It is located at 33 Liberty Street, New York, NY. It is responsible for the Second District of the Federal Reserve System, which encompasses New York state, the 12 northern counties of New Jersey,...
and as an editor for the Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
. He worked as a sales representative selling electronics and spent two years on Wall Street as an account executive at Shearson, Hammill & Co.
Shearson, Hammill & Co.
Shearson, Hammill & Co. was a Wall Street brokerage and investment banking firm founded in 1902 by Edward Shearson and Caleb Wild Hammill. The firm originally built its business as a stock broker as well as a broker of various commodities, particularly grain and cotton...
He started attending council meetings in his hometown of Cresskill, New Jersey
Cresskill, New Jersey
Cresskill is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,573. The town got its name from the watercress that grew in its streams, or "kills"....
and was chosen for a seat on the borough's planning board in addition to being chosen to serve on the Bergen County Planning Board. Harold Martin has four children and eight grandchildren.
Political career
He was elected to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1964, making him the first Democrat to be elected to the board in 50 years, though he lost his re-election bid in 1967. He was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1973 to represent the 39th District, promoting himself as "your full time Democratic assemblyman" and serving on the Education Committee and Appropriations Committee. A supporter of income taxes as a means of raising revenue in a more equitable manner, he voted in favor of the state income tax bill in the legislature. Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Brendan Byrne
Brendan Byrne
Brendan Thomas Byrne is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey, from 1974 to 1982.-Early life and education:...
recalled in an interview following Martin's death that "he not only supported [state income tax], he believed in it". Martin also supported legislation to protect the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve preserves the New Jersey Pine Barrens.The Pinelands is a unique location of historic villages and berry farms amid the vast oak-pine forests , extensive wetlands, and diverse species of plants and animals of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecoregion...
and sponsored a bill to increase the amount of state loans offered to students in graduate school. He unsuccessfully advocated on behalf of a bill he sponsored to make willemite
Willemite
Willemite is a zinc silicate mineral and a minor ore of zinc. It is highly fluorescent under shortwave ultraviolet light.It occurs in all different colors in daylight, in fibrous masses, solid brown masses , and apple green gemmy masses.It was discovered in 1830 and named after William I of the...
the official state mineral of New Jersey and Palisades diabase
Diabase
Diabase or dolerite is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. In North American usage, the term diabase refers to the fresh rock, whilst elsewhere the term dolerite is used for the fresh rock and diabase refers to altered material...
as the state rock, though by the time of his death New Jersey had still not chosen an official mineral or rock as many other states have. The Assembly passed a bill sponsored in 1977 by Martin, a former smoker, prohibiting smoking while in the Assembly chambers or during committee meetings.
A longtime resident of Cresskill, Martin died at the age of 92 on October 19, 2010. He was survived by his wife, the former Reba Lerner, as well as by their two daughters, two sons and eight grandchildren.