James F. (Jim) Martin Papers
Collection DescriptionBiographical NoteJames Francis Martin was born on August 22, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his college education in Georgia, including a B.A. from the University of Georgia in 1967, a J.D. from the University of Georgia Law School in 1969, an LL.M. from the University of Georgia Law School in 1972, and an M.B.A. from Georgia State University in 1980. Martin interrupted his education to serve in Vietnam, where he was a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971. After receiving his law degree, Martin served as Assistant Legislative Counsel to the Georgia General Assembly from 1972 to 1977 and as Staff Attorney and Legislative Advocate for the Atlanta Aid Society and Georgia Legal Services Program from 1977 to 1980. Martin entered into the private practice of law in 1980 and continued until 2001. His firm was initially named Martin and McDuffie, then Martin, McDuffie and Coleman, and finally Martin Brothers, P.C. Martin was elected as a Democrat to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1983, serving Fulton County (47th District). During his tenure in the House (1983-2001), Martin served as Chairman of several committees, including the House Judiciary Committee, House Ethics Committee, Human Services Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, and the MARTA Overview Committee. He also served as an active member of the House Industrial Relations Committee and the House Children and Youth Committee. Martin authored over sixty pieces of legislation which passed while he was in the House in areas such as health care, civil and criminal justice, education, business, and the environment. Martin did not run for office again in 2000 after he was appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources (now Human Services) by Governor Roy Barnes, a position he held from 2001 to 2003. During his service as Commissioner he oversaw over 18,000 employees in over 100 programs located in all of Georgia's counties. The programs were divided into four major divisions: public health; mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases; family and child services; and aging services. He then served as Chief Legal Officer for the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council from 2004 to 2006, establishing Georgia's new public defender system. He ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 2006, when he was defeated by Republican Casey Cagle, and also ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against Saxby Chambliss in 2008. As of 2016, Martin is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Public Management and Policy at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Source: Georgia State University Faculty Profile Scope and ContentMartin's papers document his entire career, with the majority dating from his service in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1984 to 2001. The papers include files on legislation, government departments and programs, advocacy groups, and issues. Common subjects include the criminal justice system, education, health care, and programs to support children, the elderly, and the poor. Organization and ArrangementThese papers are organized into seven series: I. Assistant Legislative Counsel, Georgia General Assembly; II. Legislative Advocate; III. Citizen Participation in Government Project; IV. Georgia House of Representatives; V. Commissioner of Human Resources; VI. Disability and Health Advocacy; and VII. Political. Administrative InformationConditions Governing AccessThis collection is open for research with the following exceptions: Series II. Legislative Advocate contains attorney-client priviledged records. These records are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. The restricted materials are indicated with an "R" before the box number and an access note with each restricted folder. Opposition research files are closed for 20 years from the date of the materials or until the individual leaves public office, whichever comes first. These files have not yet been donated. Series V. Commissioner of Human Resources contains digital files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid using your research account. An archivist will be in contact with you to explain how to access the files. Please note that not all file formats are currently supported by the library for research use. Series II and Series IV contain audiovisual recordings. Reference copies of the audiovisual recordings are available upon request. Research requests will be filled as soon as possible and will be dependent upon the condition of the recordings. Preferred CitationJames F. (Jim) Martin Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. Processing InformationMartin arranged these papers prior to donating them to the Russell Library. He organized the papers first by year and then alphabetically. He identified most of the papers as Legislative (110 boxes). Other categories of records included Campaign Buttons and Signs (2 boxes), Commission of Human Resources Papers (12 boxes), HIV/AIDS (5 boxes), Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Addictive Diseases Papers (7 boxes), Sandy Springs (1 box), Speeches, (1 box), and Universal Access Residential Housing Design (1 box). The Russell Library divided these categories to create series based on Martin's career. Within these series, the chronological and alphabetical order designated by Martin was retained. Conditions Governing Use noteLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Copyright InformationBefore material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. Finding Aid PublicationFinding Aid prepared by Adriane Hanson, January 2017. General NotesThe inventory of this collection uses terms that could be considered racist, ablelist, or otherwise offensive. These descriptors reflect the intent of the records' creators, not intervention on the part of the archivists or the Russell Library. This language has been retained in order to illustrate the historical context in which the records were created. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Collection, ROGP 065 Jim Martin
Georgia Disability History Archive |
Special Collections Libraries
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1641