Martyn College

The Martyn College of Elocution and Oratory (or simply Martyn College of Oratory; later Martyn College of Expression and Physical Culture) was an American educational organisation, founded by Francis G. Martyn at Washington, D.C. in 1884 (as the "Martyn Commercial College"), and re-incorporated in 1892 following Martyn's death with Webster Edgerly as its new president, having as its purpose the teaching of personal skills, such as elocution, oratory, acting, physical cultural, etc. In early post-incorporation advertisements for the college, the founder was listed as Martyn; however, later adverts credited Edgerly alone as founder and president.

Martyn Commercial College
Founded by Francis G. Martyn (1842-1891), who was the later president's brother-in-law, having been married to Edgerly's sister, Lizzie Etta, from 1882; following Martyn's death in 1891, Edgerly took over the school.

Martyn College of Oratory
The college class of 1894 mounted public protest against Edgerly after they were denied graduation and degree, and launched an investigation into his past, outing him as being Edmund Shaftesbury and Everett Ralston, whose works formed the core of the school's program; reports on this matter resulted in Edgerly's filing a libel suit against the Washington News.