Mac Martin was a nationally renowned leader in truth in advertising in the early part of this century. His greatest contribution was his leadership in the development of a self-regulatory agency in Minneapolis, through which business could police dishonesty in advertising and selling - an agency later to be internationally known as the Better Business Bureau. This first agency remains the basic model of Better Business Bureau work across the nation and internationally.
In November of 1911 Martin began the work of sponsoring a state law to make fraudulent advertising a crime and set up a fraudulent advertising grievance committee in the Minneapolis Advertising Forum to make the law truly effective in the state of Minnesota.
In recognition of Mac Martin’s work, the Minneapolis Advertising Forum was awarded the Baltimore Truth Trophy at the annual convention of the Associated Advertising Clubs of America in 1914. As a direct result of his outstanding leadership, the Forum won the Printer’s Ink trophy in 1915, again in 1916 and gained permanent possession by winning in 1917.
Known to all as the dean of the Minneapolis advertising industry, Martin was the owner of a highly regarded advertising agency and was the author of numerous advertising campaigns that gained national attention.
Active in civic affairs on behalf of the city of Minneapolis, he was one of the founders of the Advertising Club of Minneapolis, of which he was president from 1914 to 1915.
Mac Martin was also one of the founders of Minneapolis Rotary and served as Treasurer of Rotary International from 1911 to 1912.
A respected teacher in advertising in the extension division of the University of Minnesota for many years, he authored Advertising Campaigns.