Lois Martin

Educator and community leader Lois Martin was born on September 23, 1928 in Boca Raton, Florida to Sallie and Jasper Dolphus. Originally from Georgia, Martin’s family relocated to Boca Raton several years before she was born. She is the youngest of seven children. After graduating in 1946 from Carver High School in Delray Beach, Florida, Martin went on to earn her A.A. degree in 1948 from Florida Normal College and her B.S. degree from Florida A&M College in 1950 before beginning to pursue graduate studies at Boston College.

Martin returned to Boca Raton in 1950 and taught math for nearly forty years at Carver High School, Booker T. Washington High School and Carver Middle School.

In addition to her career as an educator, Martin had always been an active member of her community. For several years, she acted as secretary to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and later served as the vice chairman for the Housing Authority. Since retiring from teaching in 1988, Martin has participated in a number of organizations: she has been a contributor to Habitat for Humanity since 1991, sat on Boca Raton’s Historic Preservation Board since 2001, and has held the offices of vice chairman of the Pearl City Blue Ribbon Committee and treasurer for the Martin Luther King Memorial Committee. She has also served as a Sunday School teacher and treasurer for the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The Lois Martin Community Center serves the underprivileged communities of Boca Raton with a variety of services for children and teens, including tutoring and after school programs.

Martin is the mother of one son, Edward.

Lois Martin was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on April 17, 2002.