Northwestern Remembers Gary Marshall

EVANSTON, IL - Gary Marshall, the entertainer who directed famous sitcoms like “Happy Days” and “Laverne and Shirley” as well as movies like the well-known “Pretty Woman,” received a bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University before he made it big.

Marshall died at age 81 this week, but is still remembered fondly by the Northwestern community which helped shape him more than a half-century ago.

“I cannot possibly convey to you how much Garry Marshall meant to me,” Zach Braff, another Northwestern alum, shared Tuesday night. “He was the kindest man you’d ever have met. His talent made me laugh more than most people ever have.”

Marshall earned a degree at Northwestern in 1956, and credited writing classes there for his lighthearted approach to works like “The Princess Diaries” and “Mork and Mindy.”

READ MORE ON PATCH: Gary Marshall, Legendary Writer and Director, Dies

“I tell everyone that college is important,” he said during a recent visit to the school. “In college, you can try things and fail, and they don’t hit you or anything. In real life, if you fail, they might fire you. Here, if you fail too much, they might kick you out, maybe, but it’s better to fail here and then go get a snack at Norris.”

Marshall’s accolades as a Hollywood giant are complimented with his accomplishments at the Evanston campus.

He was a life trustee at Northwestern and earned a spot on Medill’s Hall of Achievement. The school said he was also “a major contributor” to the recently constructed Ryan Center for the Musical Arts.

Photos via Northwestern University