In January 2004, N.A.S.A. (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) landed the robotic rover Spirit on Mars. Spirit relayed the planet's images to scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The scientists from the laboratory gave names of rocks found on Mars. One such rock, with its distinct pyramid shape, resembled Mount Marcy, the highest peak in the Adirondack Range and New York State. This unique geological feature led the scientist who had summited Mount Marcy to name the rock "Adirondack."

In 1837, a group of scientists led by Ebenezer Emmons, the state-appointed geologist responsible for Northern New York State, embarked on a geological expedition to the Adirondack Mountains. Their mission was to locate the source of the Hudson River and explore the region's geological wonders. This task would lead them to the highest peak in the area, which the scientists would name Mount Marcy in honor of the sitting New York Governor Marcy.

William Learned Marcy (1786-1857) was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, Worcester County. He received his education at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Following graduation, he taught school briefly in Newport, Rhode Island, before relocating to Troy, New York, to study law. He eventually was admitted to the New York State Bar.  

William Learned Marcy was a significant figure in the history of New York State. Before his three terms as governor from 1833-1838, Marcy served the state in various capacities, leaving a lasting impact. He joined the 155th New York Regiment and was crucial in several army engagements during the War of 1812. He also held key positions in the New York State government, including State Comptroller and the New York State Supreme Court associate justice. 

Marcy's service extended beyond the state to the federal level, where he served as a United States Senator before becoming governor. Following his tenure as Governor, Marcy continued his federal service level in two presidential cabinet posts. 

Under President James K. Polk, he served as Secretary of War (1845-1849), where he oversaw the Mexican-American War and helped to end it by negotiating a treaty with Mexico in which the United States paid 15 million dollars to Mexico for the lands north of the Rio Grande River.

During his service as Secretary of State (1853-1857) under President Franklin Pierce, Marcy negotiated more than twenty treaties, including the Gadsden Purchase with Mexico, acquiring lands in present-day Arizona and New Mexico. 

He left office in 1857 and died suddenly four months later on July 4 at his home in Ballston Spa, New York. Marcy's final resting place was in the Albany (N.Y.) Rural Cemetery on a site where he often read and contemplated.

Despite his many achievements, Marcy never climbed Essex County's 5,344-foot peak that bore his name. He might have traveled near the mountain while serving in the army during the War of 1812.

William Learned Marcy's influence extends beyond the peak in the Adirondacks. He also has a New York State town and hospital in Oneida County and a public housing complex in Brooklyn named after him, further demonstrating the breadth of his impact on New York State history.