David Xavier Marks USC donor, David X Marks Tennis Stadium, Marks Hall, Marks Tower by Mary Cummins

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks was a successful insurance salesman in Los Angeles, California. He donated to USC (Marks Hall, Marks Tower, David X Marks Tennis Stadium), Pepperdine, Harvey Mudd College, Hebrew University of Jerusalum, Xavier Center Loyola High School, Claremont College, Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Association besides other organizations. He started the $30,000,000+ non-profit David X Marks Foundation.

David Xavier Marks was born March 14, 1891 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and died in Los Angeles, California April 11, 1977. He married, divorced Wanda Frances Rimkus with no children. His parents were Morris Marks 1858-1950 and Sarah Petker 1865-1943 born in Belarus and Ukraine respectively. His father was a Jewish "Israelite" who was in the clothing, drygoods industry per Canadian census documents and owned a brick making company, Southern California Brick Co., per US census records. David originally worked at his father's brick company. Original last name may have been Markovitz. The family came to California in 1893. He enlisted in the British Army in 1917 and served until 1918 in WWI. 1959 he received an honorary degree from USC. 

The family lived at 1357 Constance in 1920's. Below is that house today. He later lived at 1106 Hauser. 

Below is his obituary.

"The Insurance Man: The memorials are already planted all over the USC campus. "David X. Marks Tennis Stadium" and two dorms "Marks Hall" and "Marks Tower" . . . Why not? He paid for them. There are other buildings at Harvey Mudd, Pepperdine, Claremont and Loyola High.

He made millions in the insurance business, but he always was just a regular guy. He never got past the eighth grade because he had to go to work. But he loved school and so when he made it, he dedicated his life to students and education. His special love was USC and tennis and football and baseball.

He told a beautiful story about how he discovered the Trojans. At age 13. he was reading a magazine story about Harvard. A picture of an "ivy-covered learning hall" fascinated him. He asked his father if there were such a place like Harvard in Los Angeles. "I don't know but I saw a sign on the front of a streetcar that said 'To The University' so there must be one some place," his father said.

He went to the streetcar tracks and walked them to the end of the line where he found the beginnings of USC . . . He never took a vacation trip, spent all his free time on campus talking with students and watching football and baseball practice. He played tennis until he was 80, when a ball struck him in the eye and took his sight. He built the tennis facility the next year.

Dave Marks died Easter Sunday at 86. USC chancellor Dr. Norman Topping, president Dr. John Hubbard, tennis coach George Toley and John McKay from Tampa Bay will be among the speakers at a memorial service at 4 p.m. Thursday at Heritage Hall. They knew him best and they are the best speakers. But they won't come close."

Los Angels Times, Los Angeles, California, April 20, 1977

Below is his family tree. He had eight brothers and sisters. The men were all very successful in building, development, construction and other businesses.

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

Two more photos. There are no other photos available. This is non-profit educational fair use. He's far right in the top pic getting an honorary degree. He's in the middle pic below that.

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

I looked him up today because I stayed at Marks International Hall at USC 1982/1983 address 3560 - S Hoover and original address 623 W 36th St. Thomas Guide 674B1 APN 5039-024-016 Tract 10616. The building is 40' x 95'6" x 3 stories, architect Jesse Earl Stanton & William Francis Stockwell. It was originally only 24 units then Marks agreed to pay for a second wing during construction I think and it became 48 units, 24 on each floor, 12 facing Hoover and 12 facing the back on each floor. It was originally a men's dormitory but went coed later. Men were on the second floor and women were on the third floor with two bathrooms on each floor near the ends when I was there. There was a Resident Advisor RA on each floor. When I stayed there it was for international student freshmen and anyone else who wanted to stay there. We had students from China, Africa, Saudi Arabia ... They used to do the annual bonfire in front of Marks Hall. Because it was an International Hall we got bomb threats called in all the time. It got to the point that no one left the building for bomb threats including myself. There was no AC and it was hot as hell in those dorms. Below are some pics of the old and new Marks Hall. Original built around 1954 or so. They renovated them more recently. 

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity, Marks International Hall

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

Previously there was a hotel and apartment building which they relocated in 1953. I see the original plans for the dorm. It's just a box. Permits used to be so easy back in the day. Below is the parcel map and permit.

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

David X Marks, David Xavier Marks, USC, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Mary Cummins, genealogy, ancestry, dna, heritage, ethnicity

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