Luis Martinez (b. 1948), a native of Puerto Rico, lived in Lorain, Ohio, from age three through the end of his schooling. He attended Lorain County Community College and The Ohio State University. He was drafted into the United States Army and served in Vietnam, 1970-1971. Maritnez, who was awarded two Purple Hearts, was one of 33 veterans interviewed for a book, Everything We Had: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by 33 American Soldiers Who Fought It . After military service, he attended and graduated from the University of Akron. He studied at Harvard University in a summer school program and later pursued urban studies at Cleveland State University. Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich appointed him as Hispanic Liaison, 1981. He served in that capacity until 1986. In 1986 he accepted a grant to participate in an Urban Fellowship Program in New York City.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Spanish American Committee
From the guide to the Luis Martinez Papers, 1975-1986, (Western Reserve Historical Society)
