Head of Marshall Foundation retires after 26 years in post

John Molloy started with the foundation in 1971, and at the age of 79 he decided it was time to retire.

"It's probably time - I've been around long enough," Molloy said.

He also mentioned the age difference between himself and other board members as a reason for retiring.

"My thoughts sometimes were not in accordance with the majority of the board," Molloy said.

Molloy, often called "Judge" Molloy by his friends, served as a judge in Pima County and still occasionally sits in on a trial on a pro-tem basis.

Molloy served on the Superior Court bench for seven years and was a juvenile court judge for three of the seven years. He also served as the court of conciliation's first judge, a court that consults with parents and children going through a divorce.

He also was president of the State Judges Association in 1969.

Molloy said he has fond memories of his days at the foundation, citing fundraising for the artificial heart lab, the El-Rio health center and University of Arizona scholarships.

"It's a real pleasure to meet with the female recipients," Molloy said of the scholarship set up by Louise Marshall around 1934 to help undergraduate females with the costs of college.

He said one thing he would have liked to change about his history with the foundation was the push in 1987 to bring a luxury dormitory into the area now occupied by Main Gate Square.

"We got involved in a contract to sell property. We were selling it to a super-luxury dorm and we got involved in a zoning battle," Molloy said. "Now we have something much better."

The value of the Marshall Foundation went from $1 million when Molloy first joined to $6.5 million, he said. The foundation donated about $4 million to charity during his membership, he said.

Molloy said he has already begun a project for the national law center, which provides a concise introduction to American laws for visitors from Latin or South America.

The book, U.S. Law for Foreign Investors, is designed to help support what Molloy calls "inter-American free trade." He said the center supports the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Molloy said the foundation's board has already chosen Charles Jackson, a 15-year veteran of the board, to replace him.

Jackson could not be reached for comment.