The University of Arkansas will use a $1.5 million gift from the Marinoni family to establish the Marinoni Endowed Chair in Italian, according to a Monday (Sept. 2) news release.
The family gave $1.5 million to the UA to establish the Professor Antonio Marinoni and Rosa Zagnoni (Zan-YO-nee) Marinoni Endowed Chair in Italian. The gift benefits the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures’ Italian program in the UA’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.”
According to the release, “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.”
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 programs.
“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.
“Our grandfather was very proud of his Italian heritage and Italy’s impact on civilization,” said Mary Sue Marinoni Shaw, granddaughter of Antonio Marinoni and Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni. “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.”
Antonio Marinoni was born in Italy in 1879 and immigrated to the United States in 1900. After earning a master’s degree at Yale University, he spent a year on the faculty at Columbia University. He moved to Fayetteville after accepting a position as a UA professor in 1905.
Rosa Zagnoni was born in Italy in 1888 and came to the United States with her parents when she was 10 years old. She married Antonio Marinoni in 1908, and she and her mother joined him in Fayetteville.
“We are so honored this generation of the Marinoni family is continuing Antonio and Rosa’s legacy by creating the Endowed Chair,” said Brian 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 as “Signor,” was the inaugural chair of the UA’s Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, which became the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures. He was fluent in at least four Romance languages and authored and co-authored at least 12 textbooks in three different Romance languages, several of which had multiple editions. He served almost 40 years as the department chair at the UA until his retirement in 1944. He died later that year.
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. She died in 1970. She’s 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.”