James G. Martin

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For other persons named James Martin, see James Martin (disambiguation).

71^st Governor of North Carolina
James G. Martin

In office January 1, 1985 – January 1, 1993
Preceded by	Jim Hunt
Succeeded by	Jim Hunt

Born	December 11, 1935 (1935-12-11) (age 72) Chatham County, Georgia
Political party	Republican
Profession	Chemist

James Grubbs Martin (born 11 December 1935) was a Republican governor of the state of North Carolina from 1985 to 1993, becoming the longest-serving Republican govenor in the state's history.

Martin was born in Chatham County, Georgia, on December 11, 1935. He was subsequently raised in South Carolina.

Prior to being elected governor, Martin was a member of the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Board of Commissioners. He served as professor of chemistry at Davidson College, after receiving his doctorate in chemistry from Princeton University in 1960. An avid tuba player, he was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity while an undergraduate at Davidson.

His political career included service as Mecklenburg County Commissioner and as commission chairman. He was a president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

He became a U.S. Representative in 1972, serving the 9th Congressional district for six terms. He served as a Ways and Means Committee member, and as a House Republican Research Committee chairman. He became the first elected official to receive the Charles Lathrop Parsons Award, given by the American Chemical Society for outstanding public service by an American chemist.

In 1984, when incumbent governor Jim Hunt chose to run for the U.S. Senate against Jesse Helms, Martin ran as the Republican nominee and won the gubernatorial race. In doing so, he became only the second North Carolina Republican governor to be elected in the 20th century. He is also the only member of his party to have been elected to two terms as governor of North Carolina. He was part of a 28-year trend of Governors of North Carolina who were named James, having been preceded and succeeded by Jim Hunt, who in turn was preceded in his first term by James Holshouser.

In 1988 Martin commuted convicted murderer Jon Benson from death row to a life sentence. Benson will be released on December 21st, 2007.

In 1992 he retired from political life and became chairman of the board of the James Cannon Research Center of Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.

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Political offices
Preceded by Jim Hunt	Governor of North Carolina 1985–1993	Succeeded by Jim Hunt

v • d • e Governors of North Carolina

Caswell • Nash • Burke • A. Martin • Caswell • Johnston • A. Martin • Spaight • Ashe • Davie • Williams • Turner • Alexander • Williams • Stone • Smith • Hawkins • Miller • Branch • Franklin • Holmes • Burton • Iredell • Owen • Stokes • Swain • Spaight Jr. • Dudley • Morehead • Graham • Manly • Reid • Winslow • Bragg • Ellis • Clark • Vance • Holden • Worth • Holden • Caldwell • Brogden • Vance • Jarvis • Scales • Fowle • Holt • Carr • Russell • Aycock • Glenn • Kitchin • Craig • Bickett • Morrison • McLean • Gardner • Ehringhaus • Hoey • Broughton • Cherry • W.K. Scott • Umstead • Hodges • Sanford • Moore • R.W. Scott • Holshouser • Hunt • J. Martin • Hunt • Easley