A World Away: Tom Martilotti Leaves Home for Hillsdale College—and Keeps Coming Back
Written by Doug Goodnough
Hillsdale College was only 100 or so miles from his east-side Detroit home, but to Tom Martilotti, ’67, and his family, it was almost a world away.
So when the son of Italian immigrants wanted to go away to college, it was a major family decision.
“When I was a kid, you grew up in a neighborhood and that was it. I never went to the west side (of Detroit),” he said of his childhood. “I knew I only went 100 miles away to college, but it was a big deal.”
His dream of playing college football was instrumental in making that happen. Martilotti’s high school coach, Joe Sanitate, ’60, happened to be a former football player at Hillsdale College. He drove Martilotti to Hillsdale to visit campus and meet head coach Frank “Muddy” Waters.
“He said, ‘We can’t give you a scholarship, but you’re welcome to walk on,’” Martilotti said of Waters. “It all started there.”
A standout quarterback at St. Joseph Catholic High School, Martilotti didn’t possess college-level arm strength, and quickly switched to fullback. Although buried deep on the depth chart, he was a quick learner, and by the end of the season, started a game or two.
“I didn’t have great speed, but I could block and I could stick my nose in there,” he said.
He ended up being a four-year varsity letter winner, earning a full scholarship by the end of his sophomore year. As a senior, Martilotti earned the Lennie Urbanik Award for demonstrating overall excellence in academics, athletics, and character. He said his senior class was the last one known as the “Dales,” before Hillsdale switched its nickname to “Chargers.”
“Muddy made us feel comfortable and always treated the players with a lot of respect,” Martilotti said of his former coach.
A physical education and a political science double major while at Hillsdale, Martilotti started as a teacher and football coach at Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher High School in metro Detroit. Eventually serving as the varsity football coach, he spent five years there before taking his coaching career to the college level. He spent one season as the defensive coordinator at Michigan Tech University, then three more as an offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Michigan University.
However, after he met and married his wife of 47 years, Marcia, in June of 1976, he knew his college coaching days were numbered.
“She wanted me around a lot more,” he said.
He finished the 1976 season, then interviewed and took a sales job with Terry Barr Sales, a manufacturer’s representative in the automotive parts industry.
“I didn’t know much about it, but they gave me a chance and I figured it out,” Martilotti said.
Nearly 50 years later, he is still at it. Branching out on his own in 1989, he is still the owner of Tom Martilotti Sales, and remains active in the business.
“I’ll try to work until 2027 if I can,” said the 78-year-old. “That will give me 50 years in the business.”
He said the best advice he received was when he was just starting out in sales.
“When you talk to a customer, make sure you listen to the customer and make sure you hear him,” Martilotti said. “Make sure you understand what he’s telling you so you know how to proceed with the sale. I’ve always kept that in the back of my mind. I even told my children that. I always thought that was very important and would be important in any walk of life.”
A former vice president of Student Federation and president of the H Club during his time on campus, Martilotti said Hillsdale College has remained a big part of his life. In 1977, he joined the Hillsdale Alumni Association Board, eventually serving as president from 1989-91.
“One of the things I tried to implement was to open it up and get more people involved,” he said of his time on the Alumni Board. “I just thought it was very important.”
He fondly remembers “The Hut” snack shop on campus, as well as his time living in the upstairs of Stock Fieldhouse.
“I’ve seen the College really grow,” Martilotti said. “When I was a student in 1963, we barely had 900 students.”
He and his wife, who passed away in March of 2022, adopted and raised two children—a boy and a girl. Now a grandfather of four, Martilotti said he enjoys traveling, walking, and attending Hillsdale College events.
“I always try to come to Homecoming and various (College) events,” he said. “I still can help the College by attending events.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in October 2023