Most of Vivian Osborne Marsh’s childhood was spent in Houston, Texas, where she was born in 1898. Her father died in 1910 and three years later she, her mother, and her sister moved to Berkeley, California. She applied to the University of California, Berkeley using her grades from Houston and Berkeley High Schools. Although her grades were excellent, the university required her to take four entrance examinations. She did well on the first two and Berkeley waived the other two.
Her undergraduate study was in anthropology and she was the first African American women to major in that field at Berkeley. She earned her degree in 1920.
Dean of Women Lucy Stebbins told her about the interest shown by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. to establish a chapter at Berkeley. Shortly after her 1920 graduation, Marsh founded the undergraduate Kappa chapter, the first NPHC sorority on campus. The first meeting took place in Wheeler Hall on February 13, 1921 and she was the chapter’s first President. She was still at the university, this time studying for a Master’s in anthropology. She married Leon F. Marsh in 1921. Her master’s thesis was “Types and Distribution of Negro Folklore in America.” She completed her degree in 1921. It was conferred in 1922, the year the first of her two sons, Leon, Jr., was born.
In 1929, she organized Omega Sigma Alumnae Chapter (now Berkeley Bay Area Alumnae Chapter) and served as its first President. She was the Far West regional director and then Delta Sigma Theta’s seventh National President from 1935 until 1939. During her tenure, she started the Traveling Library and Teen Lift. The first effort supplied books to rural districts in Georgia. The Teen Lift program provided transportation for youth to visit people and places, and especially cultural events, beyond their neighborhood. In 1948, she and her sister Bessie started Delta Sigma Theta’s Patroness Club in the Bay Area.
Marsh was active in other organizations as well. These included the California State Association of Colored Women, Order of Calanthe, Order of the Eastern Star, and many more. In 1941, she served as President of the California State Association of Colored Women. Four years later, she became vice-president of the National Council of Negro Women.
In 1981, the 60th anniversary celebration of Delta Sigma Theta’s Kappa chapter was a tribute to Marsh. Berkeley’s Mayor proclaimed it Vivian Osbourne Marsh Day.
She had a stroke while attending a convention of the Court of Calanthe in El Centro, California. The Supreme Court of Calanthe and Delta Sigma Theta shared the cost of a $2600 air ambulance ride to Berkeley. At Herrick Hospital, Marsh never regained consciousness. She died at a convalescent facility on March 8, 1986.
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