J. Willard Marriott - Legacy

Legacy

Marriott's legacy continues today through the continuance of the company he founded and through his community involvement and philanthropy. Marriott was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and sought to share the church's teachings with others by placing a copy of the Book of Mormon in each hotel room, alongside a copy a Gideon Bible—a tradition that has endured. He also donated funds to the church's flagship tertiary educational institution, Brigham Young University, resulting in the naming of the university's 22,700-seat multi-purpose arena (Marriott Center) in his honor. While serving as home to the BYU Cougars men's and women's college basketball teams, the center also hosts various cultural events and religious devotionals. It is America's largest on-campus arena built for basketball. Also at BYU, the university's business school, the Marriott School of Management, is named in honor of Marriott. On the campus of Marriott's alma mater, the University of Utah, stands the J. Willard Marriott Library.