Martin R. Kaatz was born on April 16, 1924, in Cleveland, Ohio, to David and Ella Kaatz. As a child his family relocated to Detroit, Michigan, where he attended public schools and graduated from Central High School in 1942. After graduation he attended the University of Michigan but remained only one semester before joining the United States Army in 1943. He returned to the University of Michigan after he was discharged from the service in 1946. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1948 and a year later his master's degree in geography. From 1949 to 1950 he attended Syracuse University’s doctorial program in geography, but returned to the University of Michigan where he received his Ph.D. in 1952. In October of 1952, he was hired by Central Washington College of Education (presently Central Washington University) as an Assistant Professor of Geography. Dr. Kaatz served as chairman of the Geography Department for fifteen years. He remained as an instructor at the college until his retirement in December of 1982.
From the guide to the Central Washington University Faculty Papers, Martin R. Kaatz, 1953-1993, (Central Washington University Archives and Special Collections)
