Dr. Alvin Melvin Marks

Dr. Alvin Melvin Marks On Sunday at 6:00 p.m., Dr. Alvin M. Marks, World Renowned Scientist and Inventor and son of Carlotta Ginsberg and Alexander Marks of NY, NY passed away peacefully in his sleep after a long battle with pancreatic and liver cancer. It is difficult to write an obituary for such a loving, caring and accomplished man as Alvin was. Alvin was a famous Scientist, Inventor, Consultant, and Executive. He held a B.S., PhD, Cooper Union Institute of Technology, 1932; Postgraduate studies: Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, 1935-1936; Harvard, 1944-1945; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1944-1945; New York University, 1946-1947. Chief Scientist on U.S. Government and private R&D projects under his patents.

He held 122 U.S. patents in various fields, which can be viewed on the web at www.uspto.gov. He is best known for creating the synthetic polarizer in 1934, which was featured in the May issue of Scientific American Magazine. It reduced the cost ratio for polarizers 1,000 to 1, the 3D motion picture systems he developed with his brother, Mortimer M. Marks, who passed away December 2006, his advancements to the field of Optics is also noteworthy and his work in Alternative Energy (Solar and Battery Storage). Dr. Marks was an expert in the fields of Optics, Chemistry, Electronics, Renewable Solar Energy and Storage. His most significant work was: Satellite Laser Defense System, 3D Motion Picture Systems, Charged Aerosol Heat/Electric, Wind/Electric Generators, Electro-Optic Fluids, Super Hard Transparent Coatings, Light Polarizing Electrically Conductive Polymeric Film and Quantum Energy Storage or Retrieval Devices. Alvin was also a WWII Navy Veteran and was Head Scientific Evaluator of the Naval Research Laboratories during his service to his country 1944-1949. He had strong values and believed that education, family and public service, whether it was in Government or in the private sector, was crucial to the success of a man or woman. He was appointed a member of the Power Panel as Scientific Advisor to President John F. Kennedy in 1963. He was a scientific consultant of the U.S. Senate Committee on new Technologies and Concentration under Senator P. A. Hart in 1967. He was President of Polalite Corporation, 1953-1981; Chief Scientist of Bath-Air Corporation 1978-1983, which became Phototherm Inc., where he held the same position from 1983-1992; President and Chief Scientist of Advanced Research Development Inc., 1983-2005. Alvin has contributed to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal; American Institute of Chemistry Journal; American Institute of Illuminating Engineers Journal; Journal of Applied Optics; Journal of Applied Physics; International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference Proceedings. He was the recipient of the Gano Dunn Medal, on Feb. 8th, 1974, and the President's Citation for outstanding professional achievement in Engineering and Science by the Cooper Union Institute of Technology, which he is one of thirty six individuals who has achieved this honor in the last 150 years of Cooper Union as an Institution. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Renewable Energy Development Institute in 1995. Alvin was an affiliate of the American Institute of Physics, Academy of Applied Science, New York Academy of Science, New York Society of Professional Inventors, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His inventions have crossed the pages of every major newspaper and scientific magazine for the last 75 years.

Alvin is survived by his former wife Molly Bennett Aitken of Athol, MA; his daughters: Meredith Sennes of Philadelphia, PA, Sara Marks-Tabby of Philadelphia, PA, Bridget G. Marks of NY, NY, Jacqueline L. Marks of Dallas, TX, Hannah V.S. Aitken of NY, NY; his sons: Douglas Marks of Orlando, FL, Sean C. Marks of Litchfield, CT, Frederick P. Marks of Athol, MA, Gerard J. Aitken IV of Swan Lake, NY; his grandchildren: Dallas, Ilana, Sabrina, Genevieve, Amber, Scarlet, Sean, Lucais, Frederick, Alexander, Gerard and Sophia. Everyone in our family loved and adored Alvin, he will be dearly missed by all. He was the best father and friend and we will never ever forget him and his Legacy.

Services will be held at Fiske Funeral Home, 1356 Main St., Athol, on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Cooper Union Institute of Technology or the National Science Foundation. For more information or to send online condolences please visit

fiskefuneralhome.com