Albert E. Martel was an American government official who served as a Boston police officer, member of the

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 204 legislative district ...

, and deputy collector for the United States Customs Service.

Early life

Martel was born and raised in

Berlin, New Hampshire Berlin ( ) is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coös County in northern New Hampshire, United States. It is the northernmost city in New Hampshire. The population was 9,425 at the 2020 census, down from 10,051 at the 2010 census. It ...

. He attended local schools in Berlin and

Suffolk University Law School Suffolk University Law School (also known as Suffolk Law School) is the private, non-sectarian law school of Suffolk University located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, across the street from the Boston Common and the Freedom Trail, two block ...

in Massachusetts. During World War I, Martel served in the United States Navy. On April 13, 1920, he was hired by the Boston Police Department. He worked as a patrolman out of the Dudley Street station. In 1926, Martel was fired for neglect of duty and conduct unbecoming of an officer. He returned to Berlin, where he served as Commander of the White Mountain Post of the

Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or a ...

New Hampshire House of Representatives

In 1933, Martel was elected to a two-year term in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He represented Ward 4 of Berlin and was a member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. As a member of the House, Martel supported legislation to create licensing requirements for barbers and increase the mileage allowances for members of the House.

United States Customs Service

In 1942, Martel was appointed to a position with the United States Customs Service in Boston. In 1947 he was named Deputy Collector of Customs in charge of the Port of

Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...

. During his tenure in Gloucester, the port became the largest importer of fish in the United States, with more than 300 ships arriving yearly. In 1959, the port collected a record $1.5 million in customs duties. Martel retired from the Customs Service on December 21, 1963.

Later life and death

After retiring, Martel remained in Gloucester. He died on November 6, 1965. He was survived by his wife, five sons, and one daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martel, Albert E. 1965 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War I Boston Police Department officers Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives People from Berlin, New Hampshire Politicians from Boston People from Gloucester, Massachusetts Suffolk University Law School alumni United States Customs Service personnel