 He began his university studies at Amherst College, but when traditions preventing Jews from joining clubs or fraternities drastically curtailed his social life, he transferred to Harvard University after the first year.At his new school, he became a member of the historically Jewish fraternity Zeta Beta Tau, later rising to become the group's president.While living in Boston and pursuing his chosen major, English literature, Marcus began a lifelong hobby of collecting rare and antique books.