Los Altos Hills Businessman Donates $1 Million to Endow Chair at SF State

Los Altos Hills resident George Marcus, and his wife, Judy, have given $1 million to San Francisco State University to create the endowed Robert A. Corrigan Chair in American Studies, the university announced Thursday.

The Marcus' met at San Francisco State (SFSU) in the 1960s and graduated with degrees in economics and kinesiology. Mr. Marcus is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto-based Marcus and Millichap Company. Marcus started he company that would become his flagsip just four years after graduating from SFSU.

Marcus has stayed involved with SF State throughout his life according to the university. He has served as a member and chair of the Modern Greek Studies Foundation, and supported the Center for Modern Greek Studies, the Cinema department, and student scholarship funds. Five years ago, he and his wife Judy, made a $3 million gift to establish the International Center for the Arts at SF State. Marcus was named SF State's Alumnus of the Year in 1989 and at SF State's Centennial Celebration in 1999, was honored as an "Alumnus of the Millennium." Last year at commencement, Marcus received an honorary doctorate from SFSU.

Marcus has long been a supporter of California higher education as well, serving on the California State University Board of Trustees from 1981-89, and is a current member of the CSU Foundation's Board of Governors. He was appointed to the UC Board of Regents in 2000 and is serving a term that concludes in 2012.

The chair is named after SFSU President Robert A. Corrigan, who is retiring this spring after 24 years.

Corrigan is known for creating one of the first black studies programs in the nation while he was an American Studies professor at University of Iowa in the 1960s.

"Bob Corrigan had a tremendous impact on San Francisco State University, and we are thrilled to be able to help establish this endowment in his honor," said George Marcus in a statement released by the university. He was the first in his family to attend college.

Judy Marcus is a SFSU Foundation Board member, and their gifts to the university have included establishing the International Center for the Arts and scholarship support for Modern Greek studies and the Cinema department.

“I am honored by the Marcus family’s continued investment in the University, and delighted that this important field of study is being promoted by their generosity,” said President Robert A. Corrigan in a statement.  “The endowed chair is a much-appreciated tribute that will serve the University for generations.”

SFSU alumnus Kenneth Fong, a CSU trustee, also donated $200,000 to support the endowment, as did Bettye Poetz Ferguson, who donated $100,000.

The university plans to raise $2 million for the chair.

“As Americans, we are continually discussing our nation's role in an increasingly globalized world,” said Paul Sherwin, dean of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts, in a statement. "The Corrigan Chair will allow us to develop our American Studies program better to serve our students and to contribute in a meaningful way to the ongoing conversation about what it means to be American."