David Grier “D.G.” Martin Jr., a former University of North Carolina system vice president, attorney, congressional candidate and longtime host of UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch, has died. The Charlotte Observer reports Martin passed away Tuesday after a battle with melanoma, with his wife by his side.
Martin twice ran for a Charlotte-area congressional seat in the 1980s before moving into higher education leadership. He became a top official in the UNC system and later served as its chief legislative liaison.
After leaving that role in the late 1990s and losing a bid for the U.S. Senate, Martin spent decades as a weekly newspaper columnist and as the host of North Carolina Bookwatch, which highlighted authors and literature across the state.
He was 85.