Louise Henriette Foucar relocated to Tucson, Arizona Territory arriving on the westbound train from El Paso, Texas on December 30, 1898. She made history as the first person to attend then small University of the Arizona Territory as a Denver, Colorado graduate student after earning her undergraduate degree there.
Louise was one of the first and most successful real estate magnates in Tucson. For several decades, bought and developed property. One property being the University Square Stores at the Main Gate. But it was something that happened just before dawn April 27, 1931 that Louise became part of Tucson history in another way. Louise shot her husband Tom several times. He survived but was badly wounded and after several weeks in Tucson, was sent to Los Angeles where he died. After a sensational trial, Louise was acquitted with jurors deciding Tom died not because he was shot but because he received improper medical care in Los Angeles. The charitable Marshall Foundation that Louise founded now has about $30 million in assets and receives almost $3 million in income annually from renting commercial property west of the university. The Marshall Foundation has become a major force among nonprofits, donating millions for U of A scholarships and much more to various agencies.
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This is the woman who has a whole foundation and UA building named after her. But we bet you don't know her backstory.
Louise Foucar Marshall shot her husband Thomas Marshall multiple times. Later, she was acquitted of the first-degree murder charge when doctors said the man died from an operation-induced infection, not the actual shooting. Age 70 at the time, she pleaded guilty and used temporary insanity as the reason. It worked.
Just know, we don't endorse Marshall's life choices.
Marshall was born in Boston and studied in Europe. Later, she earned two degrees from the University of Denver. She moved to Tucson in 1898 to soothe some health issues.
Marshall's story is actually pretty sad when you learn about her life before the shooting. Her once-happy marriage fell apart as rumors swirled about her husband having an affair and an illness she couldn't shake. Doctors' tests revealed poison in her system, and she blamed her husband and his lover.
Following the murder, the trial and the acquittal, Marshall continued her business endeavors and work with the Marshall Charitable Foundation.
Murderer or not, she made her mark here.
During her lifetime in Tucson, she:
• Became the first woman professor at the University of Arizona at the age of 36. She taught botany and a number of languages.
• Aspired to help other young women go to school at the UA.
• Became the head of the Department of Ancient and Modern Languages.
• Purchased and developed land around the UA to use as rental income to support students she wanted to help get through school.
• Developed the first retail stores near campus, a string of properties that later became University Boulevard.
• Created the Marshall Charitable Foundation (now the Marshall Foundation) to fund scholarships for students.
Sources: "A Remarkable Woman" by the Marshall Foundation; "Influential friends in east are seeking to assist Mrs. Marshall" in the Arizona Daily Star (1931); "Mrs. Marshall quickly freed by jury verdict" in the Arizona Daily Star (1931); "Bonnie Henry: Book tells enticing story of wealthy husband-killer" in the Arizona Daily Star (2009).