Cyrus Mark (June 3, 1900 – February 8, 1983) was a prominent early advocate of
nature conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
in the state of
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
.
[Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2009]
The South Shore Journal, 3. Mark served as the first Executive Director of the Illinois chapter of
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
. He was instrumental in the first Nature Conservancy acquisition in the Chicago area;
Volo Bog. In 1958, Mark, along with George Fell, the first president of the Nature Conservancy, negotiated the purchase of Volo Bog by The Nature Conservancy.
[
Mark, botanist Dr. Margery Carlson, the secretary of the Illinois chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and many others raised almost 1300 contributions from organizations and individuals (including teachers and students) to cover the cost of the acquisition. This was the first time in the chapter's history that there was an appeal to the public for help in raising funds. Mark employed many strategies in his fund-raising efforts from emphasizing the scientific and educational values of the land, to pointing out that contributions were ]tax-deductible
Tax deduction is a reduction of income that is able to be taxed and is commonly a result of expenses, particularly those incurred to produce additional income. Tax deductions are a form of tax incentives, along with exemptions and tax credits. T ...
. After its purchase by the Nature Conservancy, Volo Bog was conveyed to the University of Illinois and then to the State of Illinois for protection.[
]
Biography
Mark was the son of Clayton Mark
Clayton Mark (June 30, 1858 – July 7, 1936), one of the pioneer makers of steel pipe in the United States, was an industrialist in the Chicago area who founded the Mark Manufacturing Company in 1888, a firm for the fabrication and sale of water-w ...
, one of the pioneer makers of steel pipe in the United States and the founder of Marktown, a planned worker community listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cyrus Mark was educated at Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
and the University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
. In 1923 he began work at Clayton Mark & Co. as an assistant treasurer. He held various positions including plant manager, vice president, and became president, general manager and director in 1943. Cyrus retired as president in 1963. Cyrus always had an interest in birds and conservation. He was also the chairman of the Illinois Nature Conservancy and a director of the national Nature Conservancy.[Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2009). https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/ssj/article/view/13403/0/]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mark, Cyrus
1938 births
American conservationists
1983 deaths