MILWAUKEE Ben Marcus, 89, founder of The Marcus Corp., died on December 24, following a long illness. He founded The Marcus Corp. in 1935 with the opening of the Campus Theatre, a single-screen movie house, after which he moved on to restaurants. In 1958, he opened Marcs Big Boy Restaurant in Milwaukee, and in 1960, he became a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisee. Marcus expanded futher into hospitality in 1960 with the construction of The Guest House Inn motel in Appleton, WI. Two years later, Marcus purchased the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. In 1972, all of his businesses were consolidated into The Marcus Corp., which today operates the Baymont hotel chain as well as restaurants and movie theaters. (12/26/00)
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