Video by Pam Stevenson, Agave Productions Inc., for Historical League
Marshall Trimble, Scottsdale, is a historian, teacher, author, storyteller, folk singer, broadcaster, and Marine veteran who has been serving as the official historian for the state of Arizona since 1997. A native Arizonan, he grew up in Ash Fork, a small railroad town along old Route 66, immersed in cattle country lifestyle and cowboy lore.
Marshall has taught Arizona history for forty years at Scottsdale Community College and he has written twenty popular books on Arizona history. His first book, Arizona: A Panoramic History of a Frontier State, was published in 1977 by Doubleday & Co. He frequently appears on radio and television as a goodwill ambassador for the state. For several years, "Trimble's Tales" were heard on radio stations around the state. Marshall also answers questions about the Old West from readers all over the world in True West Magazine’s popular column, "Ask the Marshall."
In addition to teaching, Marshall has served on many state and community boards including Barry Goldwater’s Arizona Historical Foundation. Thirty years ago, he was a founding member of the Arizona Peace Officer Memorial Board. “We were created by the legislature to provide a memorial whenever an officer is killed in the line of duty. We raised the money from private funds for the statue down at the Capitol. The officers’ names are inscribed on the memorial and I’d call it a sacred place for anybody in the police community.”
In 2000, he was selected as one of Arizona's representatives in the Library of Congress, "Local Legacies." He enjoys the status of founder and charter member of the Arizona Culturekeepers. He remembers it began in 2003 when they decided to honor ten Arizonans each year for ten years. By 2012, the Arizona state centennial year, there would be one hundred Culturekeepers. “We searched all over the state. I had a committee from around the state, and coming from a rural area myself, I thought it’d be nice to give these people recognition and their communities would appreciate it. It really worked out great.”
Marshall has received recognition from many individuals and organizations for his passionate and tireless efforts to educate the public about Arizona history. In 2006, he received a regional Emmy for hosting the television show, "Arizona Backroads.” He also has been inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, the Scottsdale Hall of Fame, as well as the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Marshall frequently travels around the state as one of Arizona’s most popular speakers. Some call him the “Will Rogers of Arizona.” Although he focuses professionally on the history of Arizona, Marshall also sees a bright future for the state, “I like to think that the good times are still coming.”
