Olin "Augie" Martin was a standout high school athlete during the early to mid-1940s. He was a multi-year star on the basketball team, but his real specialty was baseball. He shone at WCHS alongside his brother Aaron, Harry Kimpling, Bob Neumann, Vernon Strubhar, & Dick Alexander, forming a rare group of outstanding athletes. He was the son of Rex and Elsie Martin, owners of the Greenhouse on the east side of town (pictured below).
WCHS basketball photos of Augie, 1945:
After high school, Augie attended Purdue University and became a four-year star on the baseball diamond. He was voted the Purdue MVP as a sophomore in 1946 as an outfielder and pitcher, and again in 1948 as a third baseman. He was also the team captain for his final three years. He was teammates with future NFL head coach Hank Stram at Purdue.
Upon graduation, Martin signed with the New York Yankees organization and worked his way up through the ranks in their minor league system. He never made to the major leagues, finishing out a four year minor league career in 1951.
He went to work for Purdue University as a construction engineer, retiring in 2001. Augie passed away December 12, 2022 in West Lafeyette, Indiana.