When he oversaw track meets on the Punahou School campus, Arthur “Ralph” Martinson took the term “host” beyond the bounds of Atherton Track and Alexander Field, inviting coaches, officials and others to his home.
There, over food and drinks, he would solicit suggestions for improving operations and the experience.
“The quality of the students’ experience is our measure of success,” not championships, Martinson was fond of saying in a 30-year career as the school’s athletic director during which Punahou won more than 200 championships.
Martinson, who died Dec. 17 at age 88, spent 40 years at Punahou as a coach, assistant coach, teacher and AD during which he was in the forefront of advancing athletics on several levels.
He was a co-founder of the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association with Roosevelt’s Ticky Vasconcellos, served on the National Football Rules Committee for 16 years and was an ILH coordinator for track and football.
“He did a lot for sports and for Punahou,” said Pal Eldredge, who played football under Martinson who was 32-13 in four seasons as head football coach, including an ILH championship.
He was also a leader in opening up opportunities for girls in high school athletics before the advent of Title IX in 1972. At Punahou he increased sports for girls from two to 14. “I had one son and three daughters and I wanted them all to have the same kind of experiences I had,” Martinson said in accepting a Honolulu Quarterback Club award for exemplary effort in Hawaii athletics. He received a national distinguished service award from the National Interscholastic Athletics Administrators Association upon retirement in 1990.
Martinson was born in British Columbia, Canada, and turned down a shot at a career in the Canadian Football League to come to Punahou after receiving a masters degree at the University of Washington, “a decision he never regretted,” a statement from the family read.
Services are scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the Punahou Chapel. Receiving begins at 1:30 p.m.
