John P. St. John Memorial High School
Class of 1950

(Oct. 12, 1932 —       )

Pete Martin’s perseverance for moving Olathe from a town to a city is evident in the list of accomplishments during his tenure as the 38th mayor of Olathe. He was president of his senior classes in high school and law school. A prominent trial lawyer, he served as Olathe city commissioner in 1967 and mayor from 1968-1970. During his tenure, Olathe expanded city boundaries from 9.7 square miles to more than 33 square miles, which allowed planning of infrastructure for inevitable growth; widened Santa Fe; helped initiate major city services; passed the first fair housing law in Johnson County; initiated a high rise for the elderly and low-income housing; and strove to affect urban renewal and implement a Model Cities Program. Martin moved to historic Village of Redstone, Colo., in 1984 and served as a commissioner and chair of the Pitkin County (Aspen) Planning and Zoning Commission from 1997-2004. He is currently serving as vice chair of the Redstone Historical Preservation Commission and president of non-profit Redstone Historical Society. He said he’s living the family slogan “Your community rent is never paid; it’s a continuing obligation”.