Mr. Martin is credited with popularizing the term "death tax" for "estate tax". One reporter wrote, "Jim Martin renamed the Estate Tax to try to kill it." Another writer said, "Jim Martin came up the idea of re-labeling the Estate Tax as the Death Tax." He called Martin’s rhetoric "politically brilliant" as he made the tax seem especially cruel.

Mr. Martin served two tours in the Marine Corps (1953-58), winning a meritorious commendation from his company commander for outstanding leadership.? He earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism in 1962 from the University of Florida, where he won a William Randolph Hearst Award for his writing skills. Mr. Martin covered Congress in (1962-64), including the tragic assassination in 1963 of President John F. Kennedy. The news bureau outlets included the Tampa (FL) Tribune, Florida Times Union (Jacksonville), Columbia (SC) State, Augusta (GA) Chronicle, WFLA-TV (Tampa), WGBS (Miami), WDBO (Orlando) and 30 other daily papers. Mr. Martin was Administrative Assistant and Press Secretary (1964-1969) to Congressman, then U.S. Senator, Edward J. Gurney (R-Winter Park, FL). In 1968, Mr. Martin was instrumental in hiring a 22-year-old Yale University graduate –George W. Bush– to work on Gurney’s Senate campaign.

Mr. Martin was elected an alternate delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, and in 2002, he was a White House appointee to the second World Congress on Aging in Madrid, Spain.

He was profiled as "A Gator Goes to Washington" in the 2003 University of Florida Alumni Magazine. Mr. Martin has testified before Congressional Committees on many issues affecting seniors.

Mr. Martin is a frequent guest on radio/TV talk shows and is the author of numerous op ed pieces. Three of his speeches have been published in the national Vital Speeches of the Day: Personalizing Social Security, Unplugging the Third Rail; The Death Tax, Dying Should Not Be a Taxable Event and Seniors and Global Warming, The Kyoto Treaty.

Mr. Martin has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, L. A. Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, and New York Times as well as appearing on TV the following: O’Reilly Factor with Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto, Lou Dobbs, Stu Varney, MSNBC with Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Rachel Maddow and CSPAN’s Washington Journal.

Mr. Martin swims a mile daily, pitches for a nationally ranked over 65 Maryland softball team and plays basketball in two leagues, the over 60 and 65 Saints and Sinners teams. Mr. Martin was the leading scorer in both leagues in 2003.

Mr. Martin was born March 20, 1936 in Hazard, Kentucky. He and his wife Mary Lou have seven children and 15 grandchildren and reside in Arlington, VA