Stanley Marsh 3

This article is about the artist. For theSouth Parkcharacter, seeStan Marsh.

Stanley Marsh 3
Born	Stanley Marsh III (1938-01-31)January 31, 1938 Amarillo, Texas,U.S.
Died	June 17, 2014(2014-06-17)(aged 76) Amarillo, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania
Notable work	Cadillac Ranch
Spouse(s)	Gwendolyn O'Brien "Wendy" Marsh Five adopted children

Stanley Marsh 3(January 31, 1938 – June 17, 2014) was an American artist, businessman, philanthropist, and prankster fromAmarillo, Texas.He is perhaps best known for having been the sponsor of theCadillac Ranch,an unusual public art installation off historicRoute 66,nowInterstate 40,west of Amarillo.

Career

In the 1970s, Marsh collaborated with the art groupAnt Farmto create the Cadillac Ranch. Marsh has also funded other public art projects in Amarillo, including the "Dynamite Museum," an ongoing project consisting of hundreds of mocktraffic signs.These signs, bearing messages such as "Road does not end," "Lubbockis a grease spot, "and" I have traveled a great deal in Amarillo, "may be found throughout the city of Amarillo. A series of the mock traffic signs are also displayed inAdrian,Texas, approximately 45 miles west of Amarillo. Marsh was said to have wanted the signs to be placed in towns beginning with the letter "A". Additional public art projects sponsored by Marsh were a supposed remains of a giant statue called "Ozymandias"and the" Floating Mesa, "a huge naturalmesawith a narrow white band wrapped on top of it.Despite the attention of the art projects sponsored by Marsh, critics have called them eyesores with little or no artistic value. In response to the criticism, he is quoted as saying, "Art is a legalized form of insanity, and I do it very well."

Marsh appears indocumentarieswhich featured Cadillac Ranch or the city of Amarillo such asThe Plutonium CircusandRoad Does Not End,a short documentary by aDallas-based filmmaker about Marsh and the art projects he funded.

In 1999, Marsh disrupted a livetelevisionbroadcast from Amarillo by the cable television networkThe Weather Channelwhen he performed aNative Americansnow dancein front of the cameras.

Personal life

Stanley Marsh 3's grandfather, Stanley Marsh I, was an oilman who, along with Don Harrington and Lawrence R. Hagy, launched a business that developed oil and gas properties in theTexas Panhandle.While Marsh was the third person in his family named Stanley, he used theArabic numeral"3" in place of the traditionalRoman numeral"III" ( "the third" ), as he considered the latter to be pretentious.

Marsh graduated from theUniversity of PennsylvaniaatPhiladelphiawith bachelor's and master's degrees in economics and history, respectively.

Stanley Marsh 3 was married to Gwendolyn “Wendy″ Bush O’Brien in April 1967 shortly after she qualified for the Texas bar as an attorney.

Marsh was an Amarillo banker for a time until he purchased Texastelevision stationsKVIA-TVandKVII-TVthrough the Marsh Media company.He sold the stations in 2002.The offices of Marsh Enterprises are located in Amarillo's tallest building,Chase Tower.

In 1975, Marsh went toWashington, D.C.,dressed in awesternjacket and carrying a pail of cow dung to attend thebriberytrial of formerGovernorJohn B. Connally Jr.

In the 1990s, Marsh had faced four lawsuits alleging imprisonment, sexual misconduct, and harassment of teens. All four suits were settled. One of the lawsuits included a member of theWhittenburgfamily, the former owners of theAmarillo Globe-News.

Marsh resided with his wife, Gwendolyn O'Brien "Wendy" Marsh, in an estate called "Toad Hall". The couple has five adopted children, one named Stanley Marsh IV (born October 1, 1968).The Marsh family founded the Wendy and Stanley Marsh 3 Endowed Lectureship in Pharmacology and Neurochemistry of Substance Abuse/Addiction at theTexas Tech University Health Sciences Centerin Lubbock. The family donated land to Ascension Academy, an Amarilloprivate school.Wendy Marsh has chaired the board of trustees ofAmarillo College.Wendy Marsh was credited with an active philanthropic life even after her husband died.

In 2011, Marsh suffered a series ofstrokesthat had by November 2012 left him incapacitated. In October 2012, Marsh was named as thedefendantin a series of lawsuits allegingsexual abuseof several underage teen boys, who were represented byHoustonattorneyAnthony Buzbee.The suit was reported settled out of court on February 21, 2013; the following statement was given at the time of the settlement: "The Plaintiffs and the Marsh entities in this case, to include Gwendolyn Marsh as Guardian for Stanley Marsh 3, have resolved all of their differences. None of the Parties is authorized to comment on the nature or amount of the settlement. The Parties agree that Stanley Marsh 3 does not own the Cadillac Ranch. The Parties will have no further comment."

On April 10, 2013, Marsh was indicted by a Texas grand jury inPotter Countyfor the alleged sexual assault of two teenagers between 2010 and 2011.He was charged with four counts of sexual assault of a child, eight counts of sexual performance by a child, and two counts of indecency with a child.

Marsh died underhospicecare in Amarillo on June 17, 2014, at the age of 76.

External links

• Famous Texans' article about Stanley Marsh 3
• Road Does Not End - short interview with Marsh