Sol M. Marcus; Board of Public Works’ First President

Sol M. Marcus, former city Board of Public Works commissioner who was actively involved in Los Angeles civic affairs for two decades, died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was 73 and died of respiratory failure, his son, Fred, said.

Born in New York City and a resident of Sherman Oaks at his death, Marcus earned a master’s degree in business administration from New York University. He worked as a systems analyst for Leidesdorf & Co. before coming to California in 1947 to work as chief executive officer for Karl’s Shoes until 1969. In the mid-1960s, Marcus founded Hudson’s discount store chain and Universal Data Processing, a computer business.

In 1973, Marcus was named the first president of the Board of Public Works for the city of Los Angeles and served as a commissioner on the board until 1979. He also was founding chairman of the Los Angeles Street Scene, founding president of the Los Angeles Film Development Committee, a founder of the Los Angeles Children’s Museum, founding chairman of the Commuter Computer program and a longtime trustee for Southwestern University School of Law. Marcus also was director of several organizations including the Constitutional Rights Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union.

In addition to his son, Marcus is survived by his wife, Lydia, two daughters, two sisters and nine grandchildren.

A funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at Sholom Memorial Park in San Fernando.