Professor emeritus and author Herbert Woodward Martin, a nationally recognized scholar and performer of the work of Dayton poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, died Monday, July 20, 2026.
He was 92.
“Herb Martin was the preeminent poet of Dayton, an inspiration to everyone,” said poet David Lee Garrison, host of Conrad’s Corner on WYSO, which featured regular appearances by Martin. “His Paul Laurence Dunbar presentations reincarnated Dunbar, and his poetry made us feel the pain and the joy of being fully alive.”…