In Memory of Mark B. Kertz

Minnie Loo and Adam Kertz established the Mark B. Kertz Scholarship Endowment in Chinese Area Studies and the Mark B. Kertz & Minnie Loo Scholarship Endowment in Asian American Studies to honor her husband and his father, Mark B. Kertz, at his alma mater, San Francisco State University. The scholarships will support students following a similar rich and interdisciplinary education similar to the path that Mark pursued.

Mark obtained a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Chinese Area Studies in 1971 and a Master of Arts in History in 1972 from what was known then as San Francisco State College. He selected San Francisco State College because it was, at that time, the only university in the Bay Area that offered an interdisciplinary major in “Chinese Area Studies.” UC Berkeley would have required that Mark major in history, political science, or philosophy and then try to develop a Chinese emphasis in his course of study. Mark returned to SF State for a Master of Arts in History after already having received a Master of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis with an emphasis in Asian Studies (another interdisciplinary program). After a distinguished career as an attorney, Mark returned once more to SF State to fulfill his aspiration to become a high school history teacher by obtaining a teaching credential.