Maj. William Martin of the 2nd New Jersey Infantry competed in only one event at the 1908 Olympics, but he made the most of it. He had the top score among the American rifle shooters and led them to a team gold medal. Martin was a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey and served in the military for much of his life, taking part in the Spanish-American War and World War I and being discharged eventually as a colonel. As a sport shooter, he won titles in the United States, Canada, and England, and continued competing until shortly prior to his death.
By career Martin was a dentist, having graduated from the New York College of Dentistry in 1895. He retired from that career upon becoming clerk of Union County, New Jersey, in 1917, following a previous attempt to join the State Assembly in 1912. A member of the Republican Party, he held that position until his death.
United States