Vivian Osborne Marsh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vivian Osborne Marsh
Vivian Osborne Marsh, from a 1922 publication.
Born	Vivian Costroma Osborne September 5, 1897 Houston, Texas
Died	March 8, 1986 El Cerrito, California
Nationality	American
Occupation	clubwoman
Known for	president of the California State Association of Colored Women, and national president of Delta Sigma Theta

Vivian Osborne Marsh (born September 5, 1898 – died March 1986) was an important American leader. She lived in San Francisco, California. She was known for leading several groups that helped people. Vivian Marsh was the president of the California State Association of Colored Women. She also served as the national president of Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority that does a lot of community work.

Vivian Marsh's Early Life and Education

Vivian Costroma Osborne was born in Houston, Texas. Her parents were Benjamin J. Osborne and Alice Estes Osborne. In 1913, she moved to California with her sister and their mother. Her mother was a widow at that time.

Vivian finished Berkeley High School in 1914. She then went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she earned two degrees in anthropology. She got her first degree in 1920 and her master's degree in 1922. Her master's project was about "Types and Distribution of Negro Folklore in America."

In 1921, Vivian Marsh helped start the Kappa chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Later, she also helped create the Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter. She also earned a teaching certificate from UCLA in 1932.

Vivian Marsh's Career and Leadership

Vivian Marsh was very involved with the Delta Sigma Theta sorority for her whole life. In 1934, she started the Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter. She became the seventh national president of the sorority. She served in this role from 1935 to 1939.

Making a Difference as President

As president of Delta Sigma Theta, Vivian Marsh started many helpful programs.

• She organized a traveling library for people in rural Georgia. This helped bring books to areas that did not have them.
• She created "Teen Lift." This program helped Black teenagers attend concerts, operas, and plays. It gave them more chances to experience arts and culture.
• She also went to Washington D.C. to speak for the sorority. She worked to support laws against lynching.

Vivian Marsh was also a leader in other groups. These included the Heroines of Jericho, the Order of Calanthe, and the Order of the Eastern Star.

Community and Civil Rights Work

Vivian Marsh was also very active with the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs. She started as a member of the Phillis Wheatley Club when she was in college. She was also part of the YWCA and the Berkeley Women's Civic Club.

From 1928 to 1929, she directed the Oakland junior branch of the NAACP. During the Great Depression, she oversaw the Division on Negro Affairs for California's National Youth Administration. This program helped young people find jobs and training.

In 1941, she was elected president of the California State Association of Colored Women. In 1945, she became vice-president of the National Council of Negro Women.

During World War II

During World War II, Vivian Marsh helped with the war effort. In 1944, she christened a Navy cargo ship in Oakland. The ship was named the S. S. Ocean Telegraph. She was also a leader in the Women's Ambulance and Defense Corps of America. This group helped prepare civilians for emergencies.

Political Involvement

Vivian Marsh was involved in politics in California. She was a member of the State Republican Legislative Council. She also served on the Alameda County Republican Central Committee. In 1956, she was the vice president of the Alameda County Republican League.

She was appointed to the Planning Commission in the city of Berkeley. She also led the Board of Adjustments. In 1959 and 1965, she ran for a seat on the City Council but did not win. On February 21, 1980, the Mayor of Berkeley declared it "Vivian Osborne Marsh Day" to honor her.

Vivian Marsh's Personal Life

In 1921, Vivian Osborne married Leon F. Marsh. He was a veteran of World War I and also from Texas. They had two sons, Roy Curtin Osborne and Leon F. Marsh Jr. Their son, Leon Jr., was the first Black firefighter in Berkeley. Sadly, he passed away in 1956.

Vivian Marsh became a widow when Leon Sr. died in 1968. She passed away on March 8, 1986, at the age of 87. She died at a nursing home in El Cerrito, California, after having a stroke. Canadian football player Dante Marsh is her great-grandson.