Correspondent Tom Wilmer visits with Abe Marquez, president of the Foundation at Hearst Castle. Marquez shares insights about the foundation’s ongoing educational programsthat inspire and empower young students from underserved communities via hands on STEAM programs. Marquez met with Wilmer at the historic Hacienda, designed to serve as William Randolph Hearst’s ranch headquarters by legendary architect Julia Morgan.
The Foundation's educational programs include customized tours of Hearst Castle and a guided exploration of nearby San Simeon Bay and Pier, aligned with grade-appropriate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum.
Abe Marquez, a longtime foundation benefactor was born and raised in a small agricultural community, Marquez went to grammar and high school in Gonzales, California, and attended Hartnell College in Salinas.
He has been involved with the agriculture industry for 50+ years, including: 24 years with Gonzales Irrigation Systems; 40 years as Livestock Superintendent, Monterey County Fair; and 32 yrs Junior Fair Board Advisor, Salinas Valley Fair.
The Foundation at Hearst Castle’s mission is to support the conservation and restoration of Hearst Castle, and to offer educational programming for underserved middle school students.
For the past 35 years, The Foundation at Hearst Castle (formerly Friends of Hearst Castle) has supported the conservation and restoration of “La Cuesta Encantada” through membership opportunities and special events to inspire and empower future generations of visionaries.
William Randolph Hearst sold the Hacienda and surrounding property to the United States military shortly before the advent of WWII and it served as U.S. Army Reserve Fort Hunter Liggett’s original headquarters. The Hacienda has been painstakingly preserved and revered by Fort Hunter Liggett and the public is invited to book overnight accommodations at the Hacienda via Facebook.
Underwriting support provided by Nashville's Big Back Yard economic initiative focused on rural communities in the southwest quarter of Tennessee and the Shoals Region of Northern Alabama.
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