Mortimer Mercer Marshall Jr, a NOMA Council member, distinguished AIA Fellow, a Construction Specifications Institute Fellow, and Whitney Young Jr Award recipient passed away early this week.   

Marshall was President of The Marshall Group, a family-owned Reston, Virginia firm specializing in architecture, interiors, construction management and general contracting.  A registered architect in a number of states, Marshall was certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.  He held a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. 
 
Following graduation and service in the United States Air Force, Marshall served in several increasingly responsible positions with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command.  From 1967 to 1982 he was tapped to be the director of design on the staff of the Secretary of Defense where he was responsible for the development and implementation of all design criteria, policies and construction 
standards used in the U.S. Department of Defense’s annual, multi-billion-dollar, worldwide design and construction program. 
 
Following Marshall’s retirement from the Federal Government after 32 years of distinguished service, he founded The Marshall Group in 1982.  The firm has a diverse portfolio of public and private sector clients for which it has designed educational, residential, religious, commercial, government and institutional facilities. 
 
Honors 

  • Fellow American Institute of Architects
  • Fellow Construction Specifications Institute
  • NOMAC
  • CSI’s Carl J. Ebert Award
  • Tuskegee North-Eastern “Alumni Achievers Award” and Construction Alumni Association’s Pioneer Award
  • United States Small Business Award
  • Granville Academy’s Entrepreneur Award
  • Recipient of NIBS’ inaugural Mortimer M. Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award established in Marshall’s name.
  • Recipient of 2012 Whitney M. Young  Jr. Award


Mortimer M. Marshall Jr and his wife, Betty, have three adult children, Joy Marshall Ortiz, Mortimer M. Marshall III, and Deborah Crews. As he reflects on the source of his inspiration, “ My life has been inspired by the examples set by my parents when I was growing up and the support by my wife over the past 60 years. My architectural career has been inspired by the examples set by many who have overcome the obstacles faced before our generation and by those that continue to overcome today’s obstacles faced in and our of our profession.” 
  
Leaving A Legacy – 
  
“Encourage others to have a positive impact on the lives of those in need and walk the path of honesty.” 
 
(reprinted from DC NOMA LGV Awards Program 2012) 
 
Marshall passed away on June 13, 2018 
 
A memorial service took place on Friday, June 15th in conjunction with that of the late Betty Laverne Marshall, his beloved wife of 66 years, who passed away on April 26, 2018.