Ka cika wannan magana: An haifi Martin a Ten Mile, Pennsylvania a ranar 18 ga Satumba, 1879. Ya halarci makarantun jama'a kuma ya sauke karatu daga Kwalejin Waynesburg a Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a 1901. Ya yi karatun shari'a, an shigar da shi zuwa bar a 1905 kuma ya fara aiki a Waynesburg. Ya yi aiki a cikin Spanish-American War, a cikin
Border Border Expedition, da kuma a cikin yakin duniya na farko da na biyu. Ya kasance burgess na Gabashin Waynesburg daga 1902 zuwa 1905, lauya na Greene County daga 1908 zuwa 1910 kuma daga 1916 zuwa 1920. Ya yi aiki a matsayin babban mai duba kudi na Pennsylvania daga 1925 zuwa 1929 kuma mai ba da kuɗin jihar daga 1929 zuwa 1933. Ya jagoranci kwamitin Republican na Pennsylvania daga 1928 zuwa 1934. Ya kasance babban jami'in Pennsylvania daga 1939 zuwa 1943, kuma kwamandan rundunar soja na 28 daga 1939 zuwa 1942. Ya kuma kasance shugaban kungiyar tsaron kasa ta Amurka a shekarar 1940. Yana da sha'awar kasuwanci iri-iri, gami da inshorar wuta, mai da gas, da banki.