Martin
H. Glynn was born in the town of Kinderhook, Columbia County, N.Y.,
September 17, 1871, the son of Martin and Ann G. Glynn, his parents
being natives of Ireland. He received his primary education in the village
of Valatie public school near his home and from the beginning evinced
that eagerness for knowledge which characterized him as long as he lived.
His parents were poor but they encouraged the boy in his studious ways
and as soon as he had grown to college age he was sent to Fordham University
from which he was graduated as the honor man in 1894 at the age of twenty-three.
So eager was the boy for a college education that he asked and obtained from James A. Reynolds, a banker, still a prominent citizen of Kinderhook, a small loan to enable him to continue his studies. In several public speeches after he had reached prominence Mr. Glynn gave Mr. Reynolds credit for this important assistance.
He subsequently studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1897. The young man already had become interested in politics and from his wide range of reading of history soon concluded that his talents could best be applied in the field of journalism. He obtained employment with the Hudson Weekly Record, then under the editorship of Edwin C. Rowley and traveled through the county obtaining subscriptions and collecting news items. Then the Record Printing and Publishing Company purchased the Hudson Evening Register from M. Parker Williams. Martin Glynn was made its business manager and wrote editorials.
During 1896 he was called to Albany to take a position as reporter on the Times-Union under John Henry Farrell. Upon the death of Mr. Farrell he became owner and publisher.
It was in the memorable campaign of 1896, when William J. Bryan was first nominated by the Democratic party for president that Mr. Glynn gave promise of becoming an unusually eloquent public speaker and campaigner. He spoke for the national and state ticket all over the county of Albany and there are many who still recall the stirring speeches of the young man who had just passed his twenty-fifth birthday. Gifted with a pleasing and far-reaching voice and a mind wellstored with campaign and historical material, he at once made an impression at all meetings which he addressed.
What he did in that national campaign led to his nomination for representative in congress in 1898 in a district strongly Republican. He was elected and took his seat in December, 1899, one of the youngest members ever chosen for the office. Notwithstanding his youth he made a record which was commended by many organizations. Among these were the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Patrons of Husbandry of New York State.
It is interesting to note also that during his term at Washington he began his long and valuable service in behalf of the Deeper Hudson movement. He obtained an appropriation for the improvement of the river and another for its resurvey, the purpose of which was to ascertain the feasibility of deepening the river from Hudson to Albany. From that time until he passed on Mr. Glynn constantly gave of his time and means to promote the movement to make Albany a seaport. With other Albanians he traveled to Washington to advocate the cause before congressional committees.
In 1901, the year following the expiration of his term in congress, Mr. Glynn was appointed a member of the national commission of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis by President McKinley. He was afterwards made vice-president of the commission, a marked tribute to the young man when it is remembered that nearly all of the other members of the commission were United States Senators and men of national prominence.