Louis and Justine Mariani Endowed Scholarship Fund

Born on the island of Vis off the Croatian coast, Mr. Mariani was the son of Lukra Bozanich Mariani and Jack Mariani. Jack Mariani came to Santa Clara Valley with his brother, Paul, as a penniless immigrant before World War I. Taking advantage of the fertile land and opportunity in Santa Clara Valley, he grew up to be a mainstay of one of the valley’s most powerful clans – a farmer, rancher, property developer and inn master. He returned to Croatia and brought his family to America in 1927.

Although he did not enroll in college, Mr. Mariani did play with the Santa Clara University band during the ’30s, nurturing a lifelong relationship with the university that saw him serve on the board of regents, the board of fellows and the business school advisory board.

As farmland diminished in Santa Clara County, Mr. Mariani and his brother moved their operations north, growing walnuts and prunes in Yolo, Yuba, Solano and Butte counties. Mr. Mariani focused on the family’s property development, including the opening of the family’s Mariani’s Inn and Restaurant in Santa Clara.

In 1982, Louis and Justine Mariani established the Louis and Justine Mariani Endowed Scholarship.