Edwin M. Martin, 93; Helped Deal With Cuban Missile Crisis

Edwin M. Martin, 93, a retired State Department Foreign Service officer who served as an assistant secretary of State during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, died Saturday of pneumonia at his home in Washington, D.C.

Martin served as assistant secretary of State for inter-American affairs from 1962 until 1964, during which he helped direct Kennedy administration policies toward Latin America, including the Alliance for Progress.

As a member of the administration’s team assembled to deal with the Cuban missile crisis, Martin helped explain the crisis to the media and the nation, and briefed diplomats of the Organization of American States.

In 1964, Martin helped defuse tensions in Panama over U.S. control of the Panama Canal, then began a four-year tour as ambassador to Argentina. From 1968 to 1974, he chaired the development assistance committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.