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PHOTO BY SHELBY BURGESS
MASON
The Marshes Say Goodbye After Many Years of Service
POINT of PRIDE A record number of Mason studentathletes—332—earned the Atlantic 10 Com missioner’s Honor Roll distinction for the 2020–21 academic year. With the second highest number of honorees in the conference, Mason had 23 student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA and 218 with a 3.5 GPA or better. Designed to recognize excellence in the classroom, the Commissioner’s Honor Roll celebrates studentathletes with a 3.0 GPA or better.
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J
ay Marsh, BS Business Administration ’73, and Carolyn Marsh are bidding adieu to George Mason University after a combined 90 years of service. But the larger-thanlife roles they played in the university’s Athletics Department are here to stay. The couple, who officially retired on June 30—Jay as senior associate athletic director for events and facilities, and Carolyn as executive assistant for men’s basketball— have showcased their deep affinity for Mason with a $50,000 gift to the Mason men’s and women’s basketball programs as part of the team’s locker room renovations. The gift was also used to fund the creation of the men’s basketball film room, known as the Carolyn Marsh Film Room. “We had already committed to an endowed scholarship here at the university for athletics [for] basketball,” says Jay. “We decided to take another $25,000 and donate toward the locker rooms because we knew we could get this done.” The couple has been among the most devoted supporters of Mason Athletics since they first began working for the university. And they’ve influenced scores of lives along the way. The Marshes first met at a country dance while Jay was finishing a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, and they married in 1967. In December 1975, Carolyn started at Mason
as a sports information assistant, and eventually became the trusted executive assistant to all eight Patriot men’s basketball coaches since. She still receives calls and cards from the players. Jay, who graduated from Mason after completing his military service, played two seasons of basketball for former coach John Linn while finishing his degree. He followed Carolyn back to Mason in May 1976, when he began to serve as business manager while also overseeing the equipment room and facilities. His duties in the subsequent years included working as a fundraiser for the Patriot Club. When Mason hosted the first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) basketball tournament in 1986, Jay ran things so smoothly that the conference asked him to run future tournaments, regardless of location. He did so until Mason left the CAA in 2013. Next up for the Marshes is spending time catching up with friends and family. But they say their love for Mason remains strong, and they plan to be regulars at many campus events, including at EagleBank Arena this basketball season in the seats Carolyn has had for years. “We never thought it would last this long,” Jay says, “But there are a lot of great people at George Mason University.” —John Hollis
