NOB HILL GAZETTE -- Whether it’s in the city or on the Peninsula (they live in Los Altos Hills), in the political arena or in philanthropic endeavors, the Marcuses make a big impact in all they do. Case in point: Last year, the couple gave San Francisco State University, their alma mater, a $25 million gift to benefit the school’s liberal arts programs. Added to the $1.8 million athletics scholarship they previously gave, it’s the largest gift in the school’s history.
Last year, you two gave a $25 million gift to your alma mater, San Francisco State — the largest grant ever given to that institution. How did that come about?
“It was just out of gratitude for the experience we both had there,” George Marcus says. “The state schools don’t get the respect that some of the other schools get in terms of doing research. We wanted to impact the quality of what they’re doing. … They need research money. They need things that challenge them to do better. And they need endowed chairs so we get the best professors that are available for the various subject matters. We’re very excited about it.”