Martin attends conference of Southern Jewish Historical Society

     Dr. James Martin, chairman of Campbell University’s department of Government, History and Justice, recently attended the annual conference of the Southern Jewish Historical Society in Baltimore, Md. Dr. Martin is an expert on Jewish settlers in Eastern North Carolina and has presented papers at the North Carolina Association of Historians and the Edgecombe County Memorial Library in Tarboro.
     The Southern Jewish Historical Society promotes research, writing and public programs relating to the history of Jews in the American South and offers grants to students and independent researches. The society also publishes a scholarly journal.
     A cum laude graduate of Duke University, Martin received a Master of Arts degree from East Carolina University and a Ph.D. from Emory University. He is a past president of the Association of Historians in North Carolina. Martin joined the Campbell University faculty in 1991.
     The focus of Martin’s research includes Jewish settlements in the North Carolina towns of Warrenton, Statesville, Madison, Yanceyville, Mount Gilead/Troy, Gastonia, Hickory, Asheville, Hendersonville and Boone. “In addition to being outstanding merchants and entrepreneurs, wherever Jews resided, they contributed greatly to civic life, frequently serving as public officials and cultural leaders,” Martin said.
     Martin attended conference sessions dealing with African-American/Jewish relations and oral history. He is currently working on a book about the small town Jewish community in North Carolina.