To honor the lifes work and community ministry of the Rev. Hal Marchman, Stetson University is establishing a professorship to be funded with a $2 million endowment the largest ever for an endowed chair at Stetson. Daytona Beach businessman J. Hyatt Brown and his wife, Cici Brown, are making the lead gift to Stetson for the new Hal S. Marchman Chair of Civic and Social Responsibility. The university will raise additional money to complete the $2 million endowment. The idea of a Chair of Civic and Social Responsibility was inspired by Marchman, the longtime Daytona International Speedway chaplain who is known for his nationally televised prayers before NASCAR races. Marchman has given the invocation before every Daytona 500 since it started in 1962 and plans to be there again in February. For many years, he stayed at the tracks infield care center during races to help families and pit crews in case a driver was injured, and he has close ties with the racing community. Both Marchman and his wife, Mary Mathis Marchman, graduated from Stetson, and he served for nine years on the Board of Trustees. The couple lives in Holly Hill.(more and to to make a contributionssee go to: stetson.edu)(1-11-2005)
