Louisiana Tech University conferred an honorary doctorate of Humanities for Roy O. Martin III, chairman and CEO of RoyOMartin in recognition of his decades of leadership, service, and his transformational support of the University’s Forestry program. Martin was honored in a surprise ceremony by President Jim Henderson and College of Applied and Natural Sciences Dean Gary Kennedy.
The presentation took place during a celebration marking Martin’s retirement as CEO of RoyOMartin, where colleagues, partners, and friends gathered to recognize his distinguished career and long-standing contributions to the forestry and wood-products industry. Martin will transition from CEO to chairman of the Board of Directors and chief investment officer on Jan. 1, 2026.
“Honorary doctorates are presented on the rarest of occasions, and Roy is surely deserving of this recognition,” President Henderson said. “He has distinguished himself through his professional achievements, civic leadership, and dedicated support of higher education, including through his generosity as we establish the Louisiana Tech University Forest Products Innovation Center.”
Martin’s partnership with Louisiana Tech has had a profound impact on the University’s academic and research enterprise. His vision and advocacy were instrumental in the development of the Forest Products Innovation Center, a facility now under construction on Tech’s South Campus. Set to open in Fall 2026, the FPIC will advance forestry education, research, and cutting-edge discovery while supporting interdisciplinary research and workforce development tied to one of Louisiana’s most essential industries.
“Tech is poised to innovate and rapidly advance the region’s forestry industry, and that’s thanks to Roy’s partnership and his vision for what Tech Forestry can accomplish,” Dean Kennedy said. “He is most deserving of this honor, and we congratulate him on his retirement.”
In addition to support from RoyOMartin, FPIC is made possible by Hunt Forest Products, Bakelite Synthetics, Arclin, Weyerhaeuser, and the Pipes Foundation, along with federal and state grant agencies.
“The center will play a key role in driving research and identifying sustainable solutions for wood products,” Martin said earlier this year. “I look forward to collaborating and working together in the new state-of-the-art center, where transformational discoveries will become innovative solutions, successfully increasing forest productivity in the region.”
A native of Alexandria, La., Martin is a graduate of Bolton High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Louisiana State University.
Martin has also provided decades of service to civic, industry, and nonprofit organizations. His leadership includes contributions to the Lions Club, United Way of Central Louisiana, Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, the CENLA Advantage Partnership, the LSU-Alexandria Advisory Board, the Louisiana Baptist Foundation, and the Louisiana Forestry Association, among others. He has also served the State of Louisiana on the Louisiana Recovery Authority, GAEDA, the Louisiana Commission on Streamlining Government, and the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council. In 2004, he and Jonathan Martin were named Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year for the Southern District. He later served on the Louisiana Board of Regents, including a term as board chair.
Martin and his wife, Kathy, are proud members of the Central Louisiana community and have two children and four grandchildren.