Thomas Martin ’63

Thomas Martin ’63, an information age pioneer, died April 1, 2014, at Kendal in Oberlin, Ohio, from complications from a stroke he suffered in 2009. Tom majored in mathematics and sang in the Glee Club at Dartmouth. After college he earned a law degree in 1966 from University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in communication research in1974 from Stanford University. In between Tom served two years in the Peace Corps at the University of Panama Computer Center. After Stanford Tom was a founding faculty member at USC’s Annenberg School of Communications and later joined the faculty at Syracuse University as professor in its school of information studies. Tom was a designer of SPIRES, a public information retrieval system used by thousands of libraries worldwide, and twice a Fulbright scholar in Brazil. Doctors credit Tom’s physical fitness with his ability to survive the stroke, which left him unable to read, write or speak. At Kendal he received visitors, propelled himself in a wheelchair and attended lectures and concerts. “Tom talked for years about the Dartmouth 50th reunion and it was on the calendar as an event not to miss,” his wife, Anne, wrote in the 50th reunion book. Tom’s Dartmouth legacy included his deceased father, Samuel Martin ’27, and cousin William Martin ’64. Besides Anne, Tom is survived by son Christopher, brothers Charles and John and a grandson. Memorial contributions may be made to Kendal at Oberlin, Stephens Educational Fund, 600 Kendal Drive, Oberlin, OH 44070.