Howard Marks, W’67, PAR’09, the prominent Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the investment management firm Oaktree Capital Management, is known not only for impressive returns, but also impressive writing.
His publicly available memos, lauded by influential investors like Warren Buffett, W’51, blend colorful anecdotes, astute analysis, and time-tested insights on investment strategy. Marks’s love of writing was stoked during his days at Penn.
“As a Wharton student, I took a course in Japanese literature,” Marks says. “What started as a requirement became a passion. My professor was a stickler for writing. He made me raise my game and helped me express my ideas clearly.”
In the digital age, when so many people are writing in acronyms and dashing off texts, you can stand out just by having written something that makes a positive impression.”Howard Marks, W’67, PAR’09
By 2006, Marks had already established himself as a volunteer leader and financial supporter of student aid, annual giving, and the Wharton School, among other areas. A dinner with Interim Provost and English Professor Peter Conn helped Marks discover a way to connect his interest in writing with his engagement at Penn. “Conn encouraged me to expand my philanthropy at Penn,” Marks says. “When I learned about the Writing Center and its work with students whose writing needed remediation, I was sold instantly.”
That year, he and his wife, Nancy, made a gift that named the Marks Family Writing Center. This May, they made another gift that created and endowed the new Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing, which allows the University to consolidate all academic writing resources and programs, including the Critical Writing Program, the Writing Center, and Writing in the Disciplines, under the umbrella of the new Center.
As part of the Penn Arts & Sciences Critical Writing Program, the Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing offers tutoring and writing support for undergraduate and graduate students in each of Penn’s schools. The Center also implements programming beyond campus, serving a wide range of people from high school students to veterans in the community.
“Thanks to Howard’s early support, we were able to expand to become one of the largest writing centers on a college campus,” says Valerie Ross, the Center’s director. “Over 7,000 students visit our Center each year, and we offer programs that serve all needs—whether a student needs only a little help or more intensive, specialized attention, including students with disabilities and students whose first language is not English.”
Howard Marks is a model of a public professional writer. His advice to young writers and to the people who work for him is invaluable.”Valerie Ross, Director, Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing
Over the years, Marks’s support has enabled the Center to innovate its academic programming and community outreach activities. With this new gift, Ross envisions new initiatives that will make the Center more prominent for, and accessible to, students in each of Penn’s 12 schools.
“Strong writing skills are vital to every academic subject, and when you bring together scholars and writers across disciplines, learning opportunities abound,” says Ross. “We are excited about finding ways to better serve Penn’s undergraduate and graduate students and faculty, as well as the Philadelphia community.”
An Emeritus Trustee, Marks’s engagement with Penn spans decades, including his ten-year tenure as Chair of the Trustees’ Investment Board. He is also a frequent and favorite guest lecturer for Wharton students and writers alike. “My continuing connection with Penn has added new facets to my life,” Marks says. “Being able to contribute on the Investment Board during two crises was very rewarding. And there is nothing like being able to hear from brilliant scholars and speaking to students who are hungry to learn. “
During The Power of Penn Campaign, Penn Arts & Sciences is building foundational support for academic centers that span a range of disciplines and advance the School’s academic and civic missions. The Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing is just one example of available opportunities to support exceptional scholarship and community outreach. Visit The Power of Penn Arts & Sciences website for more information about these unique academic enterprises.
