The University of Dayton community has lost one of our greatest treasures with the death of Herbert Woodward Martin, yet his voice will endure.
It will live on through his prolific, award-winning poetry, his papers preserved in the University’s archives and, most memorably, his brilliant portrayal of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a native Daytonian and the country’s first Black poet to gain national prominence.
The 92-year-old professor emeritus of English and former poet-in-residence leaves an extraordinary legacy, measured not only by his literary achievements but also by the generations of students whose lives he touched. Sitting in creative writing and African American literature classes, many likely never fully realized the breadth of his accomplishments because of his humble demeanor.
His adopted hometown certainly recognized his impact. Along with Dunbar and aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright, Herbert is honored on Dayton’s Walk of Fame. But of the many accolades he received throughout his lifetime, the University of Dayton’s 2002 honorary degree held a special place in his heart.
“It’s a thrill to be honored by the people you work with and practically live with on a daily basis,” Herbert said at the time.
During his lifetime, he wrote nine volumes of poetry and edited four books, including In His Own Voice: The Dramatic and Other Uncollected Works of Paul Laurence Dunbar. He penned the libretto for an opera based on Dunbar’s work and discovered the original manuscript of the poet’s unpublished three-act play, Herrick. Dr. Martin is also the focus of a scholarly book, Herbert Woodward Martin and the African American Tradition in Poetry, and a film, Jump Back Honey: the Poetry and Performance of Herbert Woodward Martin.
While Herbert's creative legacy spans generations, those who knew him best will remember his humanity and his generous spirit. In my interactions with him, I came to know a brilliant mind, a gentle soul and, above all, a caring heart.
As a youth, Herbert bore an uncanny resemblance to Dunbar, and his classmates in Birmingham, Alabama, teased him when he read aloud Dunbar’s poetry. Later, he turned that early rejection into applause. With meticulous care and a dramatic flair, Herbert brought Dunbar’s dialect-rich verse to life for audiences across the nation in a traveling one-man show he started in 1972.
If you had the good fortune of being in the presence of Herbert when he dressed in a vintage morning coat and striped trousers and “borrowed” Dunbar’s voice, you immediately felt connected to the poet’s genius. Herbert truly seemed to embody Dunbar — with gravitas and grace, wit and wisdom, gentility and eruditeness.
For more than a half century, Herbert endeavored to ensure that new audiences appreciated Dunbar’s work. During the centennial celebration of Dunbar’s birth in 1972, he brought celebrated poets Margaret Walker and Nikki Giovanni to campus. For the 2022 sesquicentennial, he teamed with songstress Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox to perform the works of Dunbar on campus as part of a communitywide effort to shine the light brightly on one of America’s greatest poets.
Through the Paul Laurence Dunbar Initiative, the University continues the work of ensuring that Dunbar’s voice will never be forgotten.
And, in doing so, we celebrate the life of Herbert Woodward Martin, an extraordinary Dunbar scholar, poet, teacher, and friend.
(A visitation will take place from 4-6 p.m., Thursday, July 30, at Thomas Funeral Home, 4520 Salem Ave. A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m., Friday, July 31, at Holy Angels Church, 1322 Brown St., according to the Dayton Daily News.)