Former Trustee John Margolis knows the importance of leaving a legacy and he plans to do that for Montserrat College of Art. The Beverly Farms-based architect’s work is beautiful and lasting, from large estates to classic and timeless interiors and gardens, and John wanted his time on Montserrat Board of Trustees to leave an enduring impression as well.

“I feel strongly that Montserrat is a very important place in our community and art education is an essential part of our society,” he said. To that end, he has made a bequest to the college to provide for a gift to the endowment fund. It was a gift he felt compelled to make because of his dual love for the arts and education.

Margolis grew up in an academic family and was fortunate to have a private school education for most of his training. A graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of California, Berkeley where he received his Master of Architecture, he maintains close ties to all of his academic institutions. His late father, Morton Margolis, was also a professor of humanities at Boston University and was himself a practicing artist, as John is today.

Although his father came from modest means, his life-long interest in art education made a significant impact on John’s creative sensibility. “I grew up in a household frequented by artists, musicians and educators,” he reminisced, noting that his three sisters are all involved in either the arts or education. “At an early age, my father set up still life drawing exercises, and tutored me extensively in the visual arts.” By age seven, he said he was drawing three-point perspectives.

With his early tutoring from his father and the encouragement of his grammar school art instructor Marietta Amy, his interest broadened to watercolor and by the eighth grade he and his classmates painted a 24-foot mural for the children’s rehabilitation area at the Lawrence General Hospital which may still be seen today. Soon after he was painting set designs for school plays and developing an early interest in the built environment directing him to the study of architecture. The study which was nurtured at Phillips Academy, he said, by the magnificent classical-inspired campus designed by Charles Adams Platt and at Washington University, where the caliber and attention of the faculty made his experience there “unforgettable.” To this day, he travels annually to St. Louis to participate in discussions about architectural education.

John became a member of the board of Montserrat in 2004 and decided to make a bequest to the college in 2005. “I wanted to be able to contribute in a more substantial way than just an annual gift because I have a lot of faith in the longevity and the mission of the college,” said Margolis. “I think Montserrat is under-funded and under-represented. I knew I couldn’t make a large gift now to change that, but I can leave a part of my estate to make a difference in the future. I had been asked about making a planned gift to my alma mater and have made separate plans to do so, but Montserrat College is a special place that has distinct needs as well.”

Margolis said his gift will be directed to Montserrat’s endowment fund, which “has a huge impact at Montserrat to be able to hire faculty and build and care for the campus along with helping to manage the day-to-day operations of the college.”

“That kind of commitment is important to me to be sure Montserrat is able to maintain and improve, and attract students not only regionally, but nationally. It takes time to strengthen an institution and a planned gift shows a commitment to that process,” he said.

To view his work, see the Margolis, Inc. website at www.margolisinc.com. For information on planned giving, please contact Jo Broderick, Interim Dean of Advancement at jbroderick@montserrat.edu or 978-921-4242 X 1113.