Martinez, Larry
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Martinez, Larry
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Larry Martinez was the first Black student-athlete at Rollins College.
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Larry Martinez (1950-2005) was the first Black athlete recruited by Rollins since its opening in 1885. He faced many hardships on campus due to underlying racist attitudes at Rollins in the Winter Park community. Larry played basketball at Rollins for four years, beginning in 1967, and ending in 1971. He was the team captain as a senior in 1970-1971. That year, he led the team to a 16-9 mark, which was the Rollins men’s basketball team’s best record in history at that time. Martinez's college success was not just limited to the court; he was President of the Black Student Union, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, and graduated with a degree in sociology. He also received an Agernon Sydney Sullivan Award and was honored as a Who’s Who in American Colleges and an Outstanding College Athlete of America. Recruiting Black athletes was a key way that Rollins pushed to include Black students on campus. Larry helped pave the way for Black athletes at Rollins. In the four years following the introduction of the first black athletes at Rollins, the Black student population at the College doubled. Larry was inducted into the Rollins Hall of Fame in 2022, along with six other pioneering Black student athletes. He was inducted for Service to Athletics for basketball, but not without pushback from the Rollins Alumni community.
This item was researched and written by Peyton Connor as part of Claire Strom's spring 2023 class.
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January 11, 1950
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June 19, 2005
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Rollins College, Rollins College Black Student Association, Lambda Chi Alpha, OOOO
Position: 2043 (40 views)