At an early age, Marjorie Kossoy Fuhrmann, CCAS ’73, was taught to serve others, and her education at GW enhanced her ability to impact the world on a greater scale.
Marjorie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology but also developed a passion for international relations while studying at GW. As part of a course in international affairs, for example, Marjorie had the unique opportunity to write position papers for U.S. senators. After graduation, Marjorie’s skills, interests and dedication to others were put into practice when she joined the Technical and Taxpayer Contact Unit of the Internal Revenue Service and interfaced with aides and support staff of members of Congress and federal officials.
After devoting seven years to public service, Marjorie moved into the private sector and built a successful career in the banking and insurance industries, where she became a systems architect, managing data security matters in the merger between Chemical Bank and Chase Bank, as well as other mergers.
Sadly, Marjorie’s professional career ended following a debilitating automobile accident in January 1990. Undeterred by her circumstances, Marjorie shifted her focus and commitment to volunteerism, and she has since dedicated her talents to organizations such as the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, the Torah Fund Cabinet, and the Boy Scouts of America. One of Marjorie’s most meaningful volunteer and philanthropic commitments is her involvement in and continued support of the scholarship foundation founded by Marjorie and her siblings in memory of their parents. The private operating foundation annually awards scholarships to high school students pursuing college and, so far, has helped more than 32 students.
“I inherited my sense of volunteerism from my parents,” Marjorie says. “They were volunteers, and they encouraged us kids to volunteer and look out for other people.”
Today Marjorie’s strong interest in supporting others continues in great measure. In 2017, she and her husband, Mark, established a planned gift to support scholarships at GW. Because of this generous GW scholarship gift, Marjorie and Mark Fuhrmann have been recognized as members of the Heritage Society—GW’s honor society for alumni and friends who have named GW as a beneficiary of an estate or life income gift.
For more information on making a planned gift to GW that could benefit the Department of Sociology, please email pgiving1
gwu [dot] edu.