JACKSON – Hinds Community College (HCC) will dedicate a new classroom building at its Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center to the late and beloved Jackson personality Jobie Martin.
The dedication ceremony of the Jobie L. Martin Classroom Building is Friday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. at the A.A. Alexander Building.
Martin, 91, was a longtime member of the Hinds’ Board of Trustees and served in that capacity from 1989 until he was killed in a car accident in March 2011.
The nearly 19,000-square-foot building opened in 2012 at a cost of $4.5 million including furniture. The building has eight academic classrooms and two labs. The funding for the building was appropriated by the Mississippi Legislature.
The Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center enrolls 2,100 students.
According to HCC officials, the Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center has been one of the fastest growing of the college’s six locations with a 48 percent enrollment increase since 2008. It now enrolls 2,100 students.
“We are so pleased with the sustained growth of our campus and program offerings,” said Dr. Leroy Levy, campus dean. “The much needed classroom, lab and office additions are available for use to our academic departments and personnel due to the consistent, dedicated efforts of many people, and for that we are extremely grateful. Because of the substantial increase in our population, we have completely filled our space in the building already.”
A Hattiesburg native, Martin was born on July 6, 1919, and grew up in Gulfport. He later moved to Chicago where he was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II.
Soon after being honorably discharged, he entered and graduated from Wordham College of Mortuary Science and landed a job as an assistant pathologist. While in Chicago, he was a member of Pilgrim Baptist Church; where he was a frequent soloist under the direction of the famed composer, Thomas A. Dorsey, and sang with the likes of gospel great, Mahalia Jackson.
After returning home to Mississippi to assist family, Martin worked as an airport porter, but his ‘smooth voice’ drew the attention of supervisors’ who had him announcing the airport’s flights over the loud speaker.
From there he sought the job of a radio announcer. Instead, he was sent out to sell ads to black businessmen. He did so well, he was hired for the same job at Jackson’s WOKJ.
It was in Memphis that Martin again auditioned for a disc jockey’s job and was on the air for eight months until new owners came and spun Martin back to Jackson.
He settled in as a disc jockey at WOKJ where he was known as “the loud mouth of the South.”
At the urging of his wife, Dorothy, Martin enrolled at Jackson State College and earned his undergraduate degree. He also played on the Jackson State College football team earning the nickname “the Flash”.
Martin taught school for 10 years at Westside Elementary School where he taught Special Education and rehabilitation.
He later opened two restaurants in Jackson, Valerie’s and Jobie’s Restaurant.
Martin also hosted the Jobie Martin Show, becoming the first African American to have a commercial paid television show in Mississippi.
After his retirement, he served as a substitute teacher in the Jackson public school system.
Martin served on the board of Hinds Community College for 20 years.
“Jobie Martin was a good friend, advocate and ambassador for Hinds Community College,” said Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse. “He understood the value of education and its potential to change lives.”
During his life, Martin received many awards and was recognized by many organizations, including Jackson State University Alumni Association Hall of Fame, Jackson State University Sports Hall of Fame, Mu Sigma Chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., L.T. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award, Living Legend and Mississippi’s 2007 Outstanding Older Worker.
Martin was killed in a car accident on I-220 on March 26, 2011. Police said Martin was traveling northbound in the southbound lane and struck two other vehicles head-on.
Martin was pronounced dead at the scene.
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