$1.5 Million Gift Honors Community Pillars, Establishes Marinoni Endowed Chair in Italian

Few people have had as much positive impact on the state of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas as Professor Antonio Marinoni and Rosa Zagnoni (Zan-YO-nee) Marinoni, who each broke new ground in the studies of language and poetry at the state’s flagship land grant institution. 

Now, to celebrate their profound and enduring legacy, the Marinoni family has established the Professor Antonio Marinoni and Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni Endowed Chair in Italian with a $1.5 million gift. 

The gift benefits the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures’ Italian program in the U of A’s Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. 

“Professor Antonio Marinoni and Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni left a lasting legacy not only at the University of Arkansas but across our state’s cultural and educational landscape,” said Chancellor Charles Robinson. “We are deeply grateful to the Marinoni family for honoring that legacy with this extraordinary gift, which will strengthen our Italian program and support outstanding teaching and scholarship for years to come.” 

Endowed chairs are among the highest honors a university can bestow on faculty, and by creating one, the Marinoni family will help the Italian program attract the most distinguished scholars to teach the college’s students, while also advancing its research and public service mission. 

Mary Sue Marinoni Shaw, the trailblazing couple’s oldest granddaughter, shared on behalf of the Marinoni grandchildren.  

“Our grandfather was very proud of his Italian heritage and Italy’s impact on civilization,” Shaw said. “We want to ensure that Italian language and culture remain an important part of the curriculum at the U of A and that students will continue to have access to a resource that was very important to our grandfather.” 

“We are so honored this generation of the Marinoni family is continuing Antonio and Rosa’s legacy by creating the Endowed Chair,” said Brian E. Raines, dean of Fulbright College. “The Marinoni Chair will ensure dedicated resources for the Italian program’s continued growth and development, further underscoring the importance of Italian language and culture, and preserving Fulbright College’s Italian program for future generations of students.” 

Professor Antonio Marinoni, known by all as “Signor,” was the inaugural chair of the U of A’s Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, which grew into today’s Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures.  

Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni was an internationally renowned writer and poet who served as Arkansas’ first female poet laureate, founded the University-City Poetry Club and advocated for an annual Poetry Day for the state, which was created and eventually

named in her honor.  

Rosa is also a 2025 inductee in the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, which will honor her at its ninth annual induction ceremony Aug. 21 in Little Rock. 

“The Marinoni family’s extraordinary generosity honors a remarkable legacy of scholarship, creativity and cultural exchange,” said Scott Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. “Antonio and Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni helped shape the cultural and intellectual landscape of Arkansas that continues to enrich our university and state today. The Marinoni Endowed Chair will ensure that students have access to opportunities to engage deeply with Italian language and culture. We are honored and profoundly grateful to the Marinoni family for their vision and commitment to preserving and advancing this vital part of our academic mission.” 

“They were just amazing people, and it is a true honor for us to be home to this endowment, which will proudly bear their names and commemorate their long and rich history at the U of A, deep connection to the state of Arkansas, and all they’ve both done to better our community,” said Becca Bradley, senior director of development for Fulbright College. “We are so grateful for the generosity and support of the Marinoni family and for this incredibly meaningful gift.” 

THE Path to fayetteville 

Antonio Marinoni was born in Italy in 1879 and immigrated to the United States in 1900. After earning a master’s degree from Yale, he spent a year on the faculty at Columbia University. Accepting a position as professor at the U of A in 1905, he moved to Fayetteville. 

In spring 1906, the U of A split its Department of Neoclassical Languages and Literatures into two. Marinoni was invited to chair the new Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, which he proudly accepted.  

Fluent in at least four Romance languages, Marinoni oversaw the department and developed its curriculum. He served almost 40 years as chair of the department until his retirement in 1944.  

Rosa Zagnoni was born in Italy in 1888 and came to the United States with her parents when she was 10 years old. Rosa married Antonio in 1908, and she and her mother joined him in Fayetteville. The beautiful university town would become their permanent home, as they lived within sight of the Old Main lawn for the rest of their lives. 

After World War I, Marinoni took a leave from the university to return to Italy and assist in rebuilding its educational system. In 1921, King Victor Emmanuel III honored him with the Order of the Crown of Italy, which was an existing order of knighthood within the Kingdom of Italy, instituted in 1868. That fall, Marinoni returned to Fayetteville and resumed his work at the U of A.  

From 1922 to 1938, Marinoni led 11 tours, aimed at fostering a better understanding of other languages and cultures, to countries including England, France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. The trips were interrupted during the Great Depression and eventually halted by World War II. 

Rebuilding, expanding and achieving 

Tragically, the Marinoni home burned down in 1924. While Antonio was abroad that summer, Rosa oversaw the construction of their new home – Villa Rosa – which still stands on West Lafayette Street near campus. In 1990 the home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

In 1926, Rosa founded the University-City Poetry Club, which met in Villa Rosa for 45 years. The club fostered a vibrant literary community, producing at least 18 published collections. Rosa also supported many young and new writers, including notable Arkansas poet Edsel Ford. 

Antonio quickly earned recognition as a leading professor and scholar in the field of Italian studies. He authored and co-authored at least 12 textbooks in three different Romance languages, several having many editions. 

From 1932 to 1933, Antonio served as the vice president of the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI), the largest association of Italian faculty internationally. Three years later, he was elected president of the AATI, serving from 1935 to 1936.  

Antonio retired from the U of A in 1944 and passed away later that year. Without his passionate leadership, the Italian program died out and did not return until the 1980s. In 2023, the university launched the Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian, graduating its first two students in May 2025. 

In 1953, Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni was named Arkansas poet laureate – the first woman to hold the title – and served in that role until her death in 1970. A tireless advocate for poetry, she established an annual Poetry Day in Arkansas. In 1969, Governor Winthrop Rockefeller officially recognized Poetry Day on Oct. 15, to be known as Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni Day. 

Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, head of the Italian section and director of the International and Global Studies Program, said the family’s gift will help expand the university’s Italian program through new courses, research, scholarships and public programming. 

“We will further recognize Antonio and Rosa’s legacy through the creation of new courses mirroring their interests,” he said, adding that Antonio’s scholarship spanned literature, pedagogy and cultural studies. 

He also praised Rosa’s literary contributions, calling her “an international literary treasure, cited throughout the U.S. and in Italy.” He noted she was one of only 11 women featured in the 1949 anthology Italian American Authors and Their Contributions to American Literature. 

“She was truly the poetessa of Arkansas,” he said. 

Honoring a legacy 

Both Professor Antonio Marinoni and Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni valued education tremendously, and this gift will honor and build on that foundation.  

“Our grandfather was especially passionate about learning,” Shaw said. “He spoke nine languages and wrote textbooks in several of them. Education was incredibly important to him.” 

That commitment extended to his family as well. “He made sure his own children received a strong education,” Shaw continued. 

“All of my siblings and I – his grandchildren – attended the U of A. We’ve waited a long time for the stars to align for us to do something meaningful [for them]. It’s an honor to help preserve and celebrate our grandparents’ legacy at the U of A.” 
 
About University Advancement: University Advancement advances the mission of the University of Arkansas by raising private gift support from alumni, friends, parents, foundations, corporations, and other institutional supporters. Working in philanthropic partnership with academic leaders and volunteers, Advancement team members are determined to advance the people, work, and impact of the greater whole at the University of Arkansas. 

About the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit at the University of Arkansas with three schools, 16 departments and numerous academic programs and research centers. The college provides the majority of the core curriculum for all U of A students. Get the inside scoop on all things Fulbright College by subscribing to the digital Fulbright REVIEW publication.  

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.