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Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame

Lowry Martin

Lowry Martin

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Lowry Martin

The Corsicana Daily Sun

Hall of Fame Class of 2017

Lowry Martin, 1883-1959, spent his career working for a single newspaper: the Corsicana Daily Sun. Martin graduated from Corsicana High School in 1902 and was hired immediately by the Daily Sun. The young man would work his way up in the ranks to publisher.

Martin was elected the first president of the Corsicana Chamber of Commerce, serving in 1917-18.

In 1921, he served as vice president of the Atlanta-based National Association of Newspaper Executives.

He served as president of the Texas Daily Press League in 1922-23. He also was a member of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, serving as the Texas delegate to the association's 1924 world convention in London. Martin went on to serve as the 55th president of the Texas Press Association, in 1932-33.

He also was a member of Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and the Advertising Federation of America. He served as president of the Texas Good Roads Association, as a director of the Southwestern Medical Foundation in Dallas and as a vice president of the State Fair of Texas. As a newspaper publisher and promoter of Texas, Martin played pivotal roles in a dark time in our state and nation's history: the Great Depression.

Martin's peers regarded him as a visionary in what then was called "public relations gimmicks," ranging from the use of an airplane owned by the Daily Sun to organizing a special "Texas Centennial Train" to transport Texas newspaper publishers to Washington, D.C. The group met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House and traveled on to New York to promote the Texas Centennial in 1936.

In addition to the "Texas Centennial Train" effort, Martin was recognized as a driving force behind two other rail excursions: the "All Texas Goodwill Tour" in 1929 and the "Texas Press Special" in 1934, to advertise the Lone Star State, to re-establish confidence in Texas bonds and securities and to promote the state's centennial celebration.

Martin drew accolades for the vigorous and effective membership campaign he spearheaded as president of the Texas Press Association. He also was credited with expanding and improving the association's monthly publication, the Texas Press Messenger.