Marlin Casker’60 - A Brief Biography

Marlin Casker, architect, was born in Houtzdale, Pa. on August 1^st, 1938. Casker’s father was a coal miner in Houtzdale until the closing of area mines. The family relocated to Jamestown, NY, in 1951 where work was found in the factories. Marlin graduated Jamestown High School in 1956 and enrolled at Thiel College in the fall on 1956. He attended Thiel until the spring of 1958.

While at Thiel, he was active in the choir and participated with the group in touring the U.S. and Europe. Although he enjoyed his time at Thiel, Marlin had an early interest in architecture, which was not a major. He returned to Jamestown, NY in the summer of 1958 to work for a local architect where he was employed as a draftsman. In 1959 he was accepted to the Pratt Institute of Architecture and was enrolled from 1959 – 61. Pratt’s architecture program was a 5-year course of study; however, Marlin’s education was interrupted by the military draft. Marlin’s deferments had expired and he chose to volunteer for the U.S. Army in 1961. He worked in the administration of a medical battalion, first stationed in Alabama for two years, then serving one year in Korea.

Upon completion of his military service, Marlin returned to Pratt in the fall of 1964 and completed his degree in Architecture in June 1967. His career as an architect began back in Jamestown soon following graduation. In 1973, Marlin was made partner. Over the years, his firm was commissioned to design hospitals, schools, churches, libraries, and elderly care residences. Marlin retired in 2005.

His love of prints began at Pratt through his friendships in the art program. Conversations and museum trips with fellow students studying art, fostered a keen eye. He began seriously collecting prints in 1985 and continued until 2016.

In 2016, Marlin decided that after enjoying his collection for many years, he was ready to find a home for his prints. He contacted the Thiel Art Department to see if there might be interest - and a friendship began. Over the past seven years, Marlin’s collection of prints ranging from the 16^th century through the 21^stcentury, has been donated to the college. These prints are a welcomed addition to Thiel’s permanent collection of art.