Selma Paul Marks with her sons after graduating from the UA College of Law
Profile: Selma Paul Marks
SBS board member and founding Magellan Circle member Selma Paul Marks has been a devoted Wildcat for more than 60 years.
An SBS alumna, Selma received her B.A. in psychology (with a minor in sociology) in 1946. She later decided to attend law school when her two children were just five and eight. Her third son was born a year after she graduated.
Selma was the only woman in her class when she graduated from the UA James E. Rogers College of Law in 1956.
“Being the only woman was not as frightening as it might sound. Because I had a family, I would arrive on time for class and zoom home afterward. But that precluded me from pitching pennies with the guys.”
After graduation, Selma became deputy county attorney for the Pima County Attorney’s Office, hired by none other than former Arizona Governor Raúl Castro, who was county attorney at the time. She stayed at that job until she retired 22 years later.
Since then, she has stayed involved with the UA in a variety of ways. She served as president of the UA Law College Association and is an avid supporter of SBS. She is also on the national board of the University Alumni Association as a representative of SBS.
Selma joined the SBS advisory board because she wanted to support education. “Sociology and psychology have come a long way, and I am anxious to be whatever help I can.”
Selma actually “adopted” the Division for Late Medieval and Reformation Studies because of her friendship with the late Heiko Oberman, the former director of the division, whom she met when she took a seminar from him.
“Heiko was such an interesting professor…so dynamic,” says Selma. “Eventually, I got to know his family and learned that we almost shared a birthday. We took turns having birthday dinners at each other’s homes.”
Selma also supports SBS through the Magellan Circle. She participated in educational excursions to the Hopi Reservation and Alamos, Mexico. “The Hopi trip was well-organized and fun, and I learned a lot during the Alamos trip.”
From Humanities seminars to performances at Centennial Hall, Selma appreciates the various activities the University has to offer.
“I don’t have time for hobbies,” says Selma. “All the activities at the University just keep me hopping.”
For more information, contact Lori Harwood at 520-626-3846 • Editor