Selma Paul Marks
Selma Skora Paul Marks is representative of those women who had the courage and determination to enter a profession that was all but foreclosed to their gender and she did it at a time when thousands of World War II veterans were returning to civilian life and in many instances seeking a legal career. Already having a family, she managed to continue her responsibilities as a wife and a mother while attending the University of Arizona College of Law full-time. Ms. Paul was the only woman graduate in the University of Arizona's law class of 1956. After graduating from law school, she worked for Legal Aid and for the Pima County Attorney's Office as a prosecutor for many years. In addition to her practice of law Ms. Paul has dedicated herself to the advancement of higher education. She has served as president and a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Law College Association and through her efforts the LCA has become a vital bridge between the College and its alumni and friends. Ms. Paul also has served for many years on the College of Law's Board of Visitors. A strong supporter of the University of Arizona Liberal Arts Program she serves on the Advisory Board for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences as well as the National Board of the UA Alumni Association. She and her late husband Judge Jack Marks established the Isaac Marks Memorial Lectures at the College of Law in 1979 a program that truly enriches the intellectual life of the school by bringing in eminent legal scholars and other distinguished national figures to deliver the annual lecture at the College. Ms. Paul has also been a tireless leader in numerous civic organizations including the Arizona Opera Board of Directors and the Marks Fund at Tucson Medical Center to assist employees in financial need. Throughout her life she has shown an enduring commitment to family education and public service. Ms. Paul was born to Bessie and Herman Skora at the Stork's Nest in Tucson on October 10, 1923. She married Aaron Paul a fellow University of Arizona alumnus in 1944 and they had three sons. Aaron died on October 20, 1969. Selma and Judge Marks were married August 15, 1977. He died in 1983.