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HR8 • 2026

A resolution to recognize Archie and Nancy Martin and the contributions of the Martin family to the education of Black students in Iowa.

A resolution to recognize Archie and Nancy Martin and the contributions of the Martin family to the education of Black students in Iowa.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
R. JOHNSON, ANDREWS, BAGNIEWSKI, JAMES, WICHTENDAHL, KRESSIG, AMOS JR., GEARHART, OLSON, WESSEL-KROESCHELL, JUDGE, WELDON, BARKER, MADISON, KNIFF MCCULLA, WOOD, LATHAM, BLOOMINGDALE, CROKEN, HARRIS, NORDMAN, LOHSE, ZABNER, GJERDE, DUNWELL, NIELSEN, JACOBY, SRINIVAS, SCHEETZ, EHLERT, McBURNEY, SHIPLEY, GERHOLD, WILZ, MOHR, GEHLBACH, WULF, HORA, LUNDGREN and BOSSMAN
Last action
2025-03-04
Official status
Resolution adopted. H.J. 498 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A resolution to recognize Archie and Nancy Martin and the contributions of the Martin family to the education of Black students in Iowa.

A resolution to recognize Archie and Nancy Martin and the contributions of the Martin family to the education of Black students in Iowa.

What This Bill Does

  • A resolution to recognize Archie and Nancy Martin and the contributions of the Martin family to the education of Black students in Iowa.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-04 Iowa Legislature

    Resolution adopted. H.J. 498 .

  2. 2025-03-03 Iowa Legislature

    Resolution filed, laid over under Rule 25. H.J. 489 .

Official Summary Text

A resolution to recognize Archie and Nancy Martin and the contributions of the Martin family to the education of Black students in Iowa.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

Resolution

8

-

Introduced

HOUSE

RESOLUTION

NO.

8

BY

R.

JOHNSON

,

ANDREWS

,

BAGNIEWSKI

,

JAMES

,

WICHTENDAHL

,

KRESSIG

,

AMOS

JR.

,

GEARHART

,

OLSON

,

WESSEL-KROESCHELL

,

JUDGE

,

WELDON

,

BARKER

,

MADISON

,

KNIFF

MCCULLA

,

WOOD

,

LATHAM

,

BLOOMINGDALE

,

CROKEN

,

HARRIS

,

NORDMAN

,

LOHSE

,

ZABNER

,

GJERDE

,

DUNWELL

,

NIELSEN

,

JACOBY

,

SRINIVAS

,

SCHEETZ

,

EHLERT

,

McBURNEY

,

SHIPLEY

,

GERHOLD

,

WILZ

,

MOHR

,

GEHLBACH

,

WULF

,

HORA

,

LUNDGREN

,

and

BOSSMAN

A

Resolution

to

recognize

Archie

and

Nancy

Martin

1

and

the

contributions

of

the

Martin

family

to

the

2

education

of

Black

students

in

Iowa.

3

WHEREAS,

Archie

and

Nancy

Martin

were

born

into

4

slavery

in

the

American

South

and

began

migrating

north

5

with

their

six

adult

children

in

1913,

moving

from

6

Austell,

Georgia,

to

Ames,

Iowa,

in

1915;

and

7

WHEREAS,

Archie

found

work

as

an

assistant

to

the

8

yardmaster

with

the

Chicago

and

Northwestern

Railroad

9

and

Nancy

worked

as

a

cook

for

a

local

doctor

and

10

a

Greek

house

on

the

campus

of

the

then-Iowa

State

11

College;

and

12

WHEREAS,

Iowa

State

College

welcomed

students

of

13

color,

and

George

Washington

Carver,

the

first

Black

14

student

at

Iowa

State

College,

graduated

in

1896;

and

15

WHEREAS,

until

the

late

1940s,

it

was

unofficial

16

policy

at

Iowa

State

College

that

Black

students

had

17

to

room

together,

creating

difficulties

in

finding

18

housing

for

the

few

Black

students

at

Iowa

State

19

College

and

effectively

forcing

them

to

find

housing

20

off

campus;

and

21

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91

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1/

3

H.R.

8

WHEREAS,

Archie

and

three

of

his

sons

built

the

1

Martin

House

around

1919

at

218

Lincoln

Way

in

Ames,

2

Iowa,

where

it

still

stands

to

this

day

as

a

local

3

historic

landmark;

and

4

WHEREAS,

Archie

always

believed

in

education

as

a

5

means

of

getting

ahead

in

life,

and

expressed

concern

6

when

he

learned

about

the

restrictive

housing

policy

at

7

Iowa

State

College,

leading

him

to

discuss

the

matter

8

several

times

with

the

president

of

Iowa

State

College,

9

which

eventually

led

to

Black

students

having

an

easier

10

time

finding

housing

on

campus;

and

11

WHEREAS,

throughout

the

1930s

and

1940s,

Archie

and

12

Nancy

opened

their

homes

to

Black

students

at

Iowa

13

State

College,

allowing

them

to

live

on

the

upper

floor

14

of

the

Martin

House;

and

15

WHEREAS,

during

this

period,

around

20

students

16

lived

and

dined

with

the

Martin

family

at

various

17

times,

and

the

Martins

also

hosted

local

gatherings

and

18

distinguished

guests

at

the

Martin

House,

including

19

George

Washington

Carver

and

Jack

Trice,

the

first

20

Black

athlete

at

Iowa

State

College;

and

21

WHEREAS,

in

2004,

the

Board

of

Regents

honored

the

22

legacy

of

the

Martin

family

by

approving

the

naming

of

23

Martin

Hall,

a

student

housing

building

on

the

campus

24

of

Iowa

State

University;

and

25

WHEREAS,

in

2008,

the

Ames

branch

of

the

NAACP

26

established

the

Nancy

and

Archie

Martin

Woman

of

the

27

Year

Award

and

the

Martin

Foundation

established

a

28

scholarship

to

provide

support

for

students

of

color

29

who

demonstrate

financial

need

and

exemplify

the

30

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3

H.R.

8

Martin

legacy

of

kindness

and

community

service;

NOW

1

THEREFORE,

2

BE

IT

RESOLVED

BY

THE

HOUSE

OF

REPRESENTATIVES,

3

That

the

House

of

Representatives

honors

the

legacy

of

4

Archie

and

Nancy

Martin

and

the

contributions

they

made

5

to

the

education

and

advancement

of

Black

students

at

6

Iowa

State

University.

7

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3