Alice Sheets Marriott was born October 19, 1907, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Alice Taylor and Edwin Spencer Sheets. She graduated with honors from the University of Utah in 1927 at age 19. She was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Chi Omega sorority.

Two days after graduation she married J. Willard Marriott in the Salt Lake Temple and moved to Washington, D.C. to help with the A & W root beer stand he had opened a few weeks before. Shortly after her arrival, they opened a second stand. Mrs. Marriott's early responsibilities included collecting accounts and taking receipts to the bank. Although the business was quite successful during the summer months, it was apparent that in the approaching winter months they would need more than root beer to keep the business afloat. Food service in the franchise was prohibited, but the Marriotts were able to secure special permission from Allen and Wright to add food to the menu.

The Marriotts discussed the idea of serving Mexican and Southwestern food, but neither had any experience in food preparation of this kind. Since Mrs. Marriott had majored in Spanish in college, she was able to talk to the chef at the Mexican embassy who provided her with a few recipes and the address of a Mexican food supply house in San Antonio, Texas.

Mrs. Marriott practiced cooking the recipes while Mr. Marriott made preparations to modify the stand for food service. They were determined to have everything ready in order to change the stand as quickly as possible, so they wouldn't lose their patronage. In the fall of 1927 the changes were made and the stand was transformed overnight. The Hot Shoppe was now in business, with Mrs. Marriott as the chef.

In 1930, Alice Taylor Sheets, Mrs. Marriott's mother, married Senator Reed Smoot and with that marriage came the Marriotts' inclusion in the political circles of Washington, D.C. In addition to these social activities, Mrs. Marriott continued to be very involved with the business, even after the birth of their sons, J. Willard Marriott, Jr. in 1932 and Richard Edwin Marriott in 1939. She was instrumental in key decision-making which affected the company's growth and success, and even helped design and decorate company restaurants and hotels and scouted out new locations for company expansion.

Mrs. Marriott's political activities were varied and extensive throughout her life. From 1955 to 1957 she served as assistant treasurer for the League of Republican Women for the District of Columbia, and in 1957 was appointed vice president of the organization, a post she held for two years. She continued to affiliate with the League of Republican Women, serving in numerous positions in subsequent years. In 1959 she was named to the District of Columbia Republican State Executive Committee. She was a member of the Republican National Committee from 1959 to 1976, and during those years she served as vice chairman and as an executive committee member. She served on the Arrangements Committee for the Republican National Conventions of 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972, and was treasurer of the conventions in 1964, 1968, and 1972. She was vice chairman of the 1969 Inaugural Committee and honorary chairman of the 1973 Inaugural Committee.

In addition to her political responsibilities, Mrs. Marriott was actively involved with various organizations in the community, including the Goodwill Industries Guild, the Capital Speakers Club, the International Neighbors Club, the Arthritis and Rheumatism Association of Metropolitan Washington, and the National Advisory Committee for Children and Youth. She also helped found the Welcome to Washington International Club.

The nation's arts community has benefitted greatly from Mrs. Marriott's service and philanthropy. In 1971 she was appointed chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and in 1972 was appointed to the board of trustees. She is now an honorary trustee, having served two 10-year terms on the board and executive and finance committees. She has also served on the board of directors of the National Ballet Society, and is a former member of the Women's Committee of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Mrs. Marriott's dedication to academic excellence has been manifest not only in her college years, but throughout her life. She holds two honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees, one from Mount Vernon College and one from the University of Utah. The University of Utah has been the recipient of the Marriott's support and generosity for many years. In 1989 the new dance building was dedicated as the Alice Sheets Marriott Center for Dance in recognition of her particular interest in the arts. In 1988 for the Marriott Library's twentieth anniversary, Mrs. Marriott made a sizeable donation, and in the tradition of the family, her son, J. Willard Marriott, Jr., chaired the university's capital campaign which far exceeded its goal of one hundred and fifty million dollars. At the conclusion of the campaign, the Marriott's made a significant donation to the library.

Mrs. Marriott's counsel and advice have been sought by various individuals and organizations throughout her life. She is a member of the American Newspaper Women's Association, the Capitol Hill Club, the Washington Club, the 1925 F Street Club, and has been named to the honorary board of the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse. She serves as a member of the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Council and is on the board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation. She is also an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Prior Mrs. Marriott’s death on April 19, 2000, she served as director emeritus of Marriott International Incorporated and Host Marriott Corporation. She served one of the longest periods of active board service in American business history.