Marcellus Hartley Dodge Sr. was the chairman of the board of Remington Arms Company and a member of the family associated with the Phelps Dodge Corporation. He was the president or director of several companies and the president of YMCA in the United States. He was a well-known philanthropist with significant donations to many institutions and organizations and he was a major contributor to the successful efforts to protect the Great Swamp.

The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Established in 1960, it is among what has grown to be more than 550 refuges in the United States National Wildlife Refuge System.