In the Age of Slavery – at the University of Virginia

The Life of Henry Martin, bell ringer for the University from U.Va. Magazine on Vimeo.

This 4-minute video about a remarkable man at UVA is a must-see. The accompanying article, written by Lee Graves and appearing in the University of Virginia Magazine, brings back wonderful memories of my life in Charlottesville.

My own great-uncle John A. (Jap) Penton who played football at UVA in the late 1800s must have met Henry Martin during his years in Charlottesville. The Civil War had ended and slavery abolished. I wish I knew more about John Penton’s experiences, but he died before I was born. Jap Penton went on to coach football and was celebrated in a Collier’s Magazine article (1928) by none other than John Heisman. That’s a story for another time, however.

As I read Graves’s article about Martin and watched the video in which Coy Barefoot (Grad ’97), author of The Corner: A History of Student Life at the University of Virginia, eloquently describes Martin’s contribution to UVA, I couldn’t help but wonder how Henry Martin’s life touched Jap Penton’s life. I know Martin’s life touched mine.

Thank you, Lee Graves and Coy Barefoot, for your marvelous stories.