The Mark family established the Thomas R. and Maxine C. Mark Family Endowment in honor of Dr. Thomas R. Mark in 2011. The purpose of the Endowment is to provide support to Colorado State University Libraries for resources in the areas of assistive technology and English literature, and a room (179) dedicated in honor of Thomas Mark at the Morgan Library. This tribute is an acknowledgment of his work at CSU and his disability. During his last years as a professor and during his retirement, he was afflicted with macular degeneration. As his sight diminished, he did not give up learning and reading, but relied increasingly on a computer reader, which allowed him to continue to pursue his independent scholarly life. He would be exceedingly happy to know that other students pursue their endeavors with the aids that are provided in this room, use the resources provided by his foundation, and read books or music that he, too, might have enjoyed.

Dr. Thomas Mark taught in the Department of English at Colorado State University for more than four decades before his death in late 2010. Dr. Mark’s courses in Shakespeare, Dante, and Milton challenged and delighted hundreds of students whose correspondence with him continued long past their college days. He was among the faculty who helped CSU in its transition from Colorado A&M to a University, separating the departments, such as English and philosophy. He retired in 1994, and received an Alumni Association Best Teacher Award in 1996. He was a contributor to several scholarly journals, but his most important work was a translation of The Tragedy of Man by the Hungarian dramatic poet, Imre Madách. He was a board member of the Larimer Choral and a valued member of this community.

The Dr. Thomas R. Mark Assistive Technology Room will be used by students with visual impairments. Funds from the endowment will support resources for assistive technology and if none are needed, then the funds will be used to purchase English literature materials for the Library’s collection.