’ s ▁has ▁its ▁roots ▁in ▁its ▁board ▁of ▁direct ors , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁is ▁root ed ▁in ▁the ▁city ’ s ▁most - est ab lished ▁establishment ▁– ▁oil , ▁high ▁technology ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁days , ▁cot ton ." ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁school ' s ▁in ception , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁focused ▁on ▁creating ▁an ▁end ow ment ▁and ▁encourag ing ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁science . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Texas ▁Inst ru ments ' ▁co - found ers ▁Cec il ▁H . ▁Green ▁and ▁Eug ene ▁Mc D erm ott ▁don ated ▁a ▁math ▁and ▁science ▁quad rangle , ▁the ▁main ▁library , ▁the ▁green house , ▁the ▁planet arium ▁and ▁the ▁observ atory . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁emphas is ▁on ▁science ▁facilities ▁was ▁not ▁random . ▁As ▁a ▁former ▁St . ▁Mark ' s ▁head master ▁once ▁said : ▁" St . ▁Mark ' s ▁is ▁a ▁S put nik ▁school ▁p rag matically ▁established ▁by ▁industrial ists ▁who ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁turning ▁out ▁scient ists ." ▁The ▁science ▁facilities ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁career ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁future ▁scient ists , ▁including ▁Alan ▁Stern , ▁who ▁traces ▁his ▁current ▁role ▁as ▁principal ▁investig ator ▁of ▁NASA ' s ▁New ▁Hor iz ons ▁mission ▁to ▁Pl uto ▁to ▁his ▁early ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁St . ▁Mark ' s ▁planet arium , ▁observ atory , ▁and ▁astronom y ▁club . ▁ ▁Much