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Farewell to Marvin Toast first met Marvin in 1997, when I returned to North Carolina after being away for 20 years. As a devoted graduate of the School of Design, I carried with me a highly charged and at times much romanticized memory of the school. Who wouldn’t be a devout believer when you had professors like Duncan Stuart, Vernon Shogren, George Bireline, Paul Tesar, and Vincent Foote? This was, after all, the place that shaped my passion for design. So who was this man who was going to fill these very large shoes and our expectations of what the Dean should be? They say that with time, we find out who we have always been. With time, we are all still discovering who Marvin is. Through his actions and words as a Dean, teacher, architect, mentor, President of the AIA, advisor, and friend, we are still discovering something new about the depth of this person whom we all respect. What we have discovered so far: • CLARITY OF VISION—just take heed of his quest to continually hone the definition of what design thinking is. It’s no small feat. • INSPIRATION—just witness all the commencement speeches he has given. If they don’t make a graduate sit up straight and believe they can change the world, nothing will. • IMAGINATION—just look at Marvin’s drawings of nest ideas for Pegasus. • GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT—just listen to Marvin speak of others and find the best in them. • PASSION—just ask him about design intelligence and the beauty in the act of making. • HUMANITY—just spend a moment with him and discover perhaps the most self-evident quality that Marvin possesses. It has been said that “our minds establish expectations, and our hearts exceed them”—Marvin, your intellect continues to establish expectations, and your love of this place has far exceeded them. In the Leaders Council you gave a metaphor of finding, upon your arrival at NC State, a Gullwing Mercedes with no tires, up on cinder blocks in the backyard, and since then we have developed a brand new Gullwing Mercedes coupe that is ready to go. I would like to believe that this new model you have created, in fact, won’t need those tires, because it is capable of flying. We want to thank you for all you have given to us and to this school that we cherish, and for leaving us in a much better place than the one you found us in when you arrived. We also wish you all the best in your next adventures as you take your talents and passion to the other shore. All the best. —Turan Duda, FAIA [BEDA ’76], Principal Duda | Paine Architects 28
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”Athena Nesting,” drawing by Marvin Malecha
arvin Malecha’s contagious passion for design education and quality design has deeply characterized his work and life. A devoted teacher and mentor, he has always set challenging goals and high standards, inspiring and leading students, colleagues, and design professionals. Throughout his career, Marvin has sought to educate the public about the power of design and design thinking and to create opportunities for designers through the leadership roles that he assumed in academia and the professions. He has devoted tremendous energy and determination to initiating and organizing programs that promote interdisciplinary, university/professional, and university/community collaborations. In particular, his dedication and commitment to the establishment of international programs and partnerships for design students and professionals has been admirable. A citizen of the world and a life-long learner, Marvin’s positive influence on generations of students, faculty, and designers worldwide is undeniably strong and an important aspect of the legacy of the College of Design at the turn of the twenty-first century. — Emerita Professor of Architecture Georgia Bizios, FAIA