Boxer Love Story: Marvelyn (Davison) Hess '64 and M. Dan Hess '54

Dan and Marvelyn would have been married 58 years on December 27, 2011. Dan died December 12, 2011.

“I am going to claim all of those 58 years,” said Marvelyn.

Dan and Marvelyn’s life together got its start at Rogers Canning Company in Milton-Freewater, Ore. in the summer of 1953. Dan was home from Pacific for his summer job, the same one he had every summer since he was 15— working in the warehouse, driving jitney, stacking pallets of canned peas. Marvelyn worked in the office as secretary to the “main man.” 

Marvelyn knew Dan when he was a BMOC at Mac High and she was a “lowly underclassman”, but then they both had “steadies.” One day that summer Marvelyn managed to need help making note pads, so she walked to the warehouse and found Dan who was all to glad to show his prowess at the paper cutter.

He stacked the papers carefully and pulled on the cutting handle. To no avail! Then he tried again and the third time, the blade shattered! Faulty equipment— they forgot to unlock the handle. Marvelyn does not remember if she ever got the notepads made, but they went on their first date that week.  

Dan left for football practice in mid-August and hey wrote letters of undying love every day until Marvelyn arrived on campus in September. At Herrick Hall, Marvelyn met her new roommate and got a very cold reception from several Kappa Deltas. It was years before she knew why. But Marvelyn became a proud Kappa.

Marvelyn learned about the “Pie Shop” where Dan and her went almost every night. She learned about “pebbles at the window” and Greek “pinning” and frat serenades along with bonfires, mums, May Poles, AZ Breakfast Dances, curfews and front porch goodnights.

“All part of a wonderful campus education,” said Marvelyn.

Dan and Marvelyn married during Christmas break that year. Dan graduated in May, 1954, and they moved in September to Scappoose where Dan got his first teaching/coaching job. Marvelyn got educated in “bits and pieces” and managed to graduate from Pacific in May 1964.

“Fifty-eight years hold far too many stories and memories to be included here.  But Dan was always proud to be a Pacific grad and no one told stories better than he. Go Boxers!”

Dan passed away in 2011.

Read more Boxer love stories at pacificu.edu/lovestory