DR. DAVID MARSHALL VESS of Birmingham, AL, 86 years of age, long-time Professor of History at Samford University, died on June 13, 2012 at his home in Hoover, AL. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of fifty years, Jean Buchanan Vess. He is survived by their son, John Buchanan Vess, daughter-in-love Jennifer Wales Vess, grandson Kevin Marshall Vess and his girlfriend Katie Kestenbaum, all of Mississippi. Other family members include Mrs. Lynn Buchanan Walker of Hoover, AL and family; Rev. and Mrs. Julius S. Jones (Anne) of Conyers, GA, and family; Dr. John H. Buchanan, Jr. of Bethesda, MD and family; Mary Vess Watson and family of Houston, TX.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 16th beginning at 1:00 p.m.
with the funeral service following at 2:00 at Ridout’s Valley Chapel, 1800 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL 35209. Interment with military honors will follow at Jefferson Memorial Gardens on 2701 John Hawkins Parkway (Highway 150) in Hoover, AL.
The family requests no flowers or plants, but suggests that memorials may be sent to any of the following organizations.
Samford University Department of History, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229, designated for either the David M. Vess Scholarship for Study Abroad, or the George V. Irons Scholarship Endowment Fund
Angel of Mercy Elder Care 3100 Lorna Road Suite 316 Hoover, AL 35216
Christen Foundation 5959 Sherwood Forest Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70816
The charity or religious organization of your choice.
A dedicated Christian, Dr. David Vess served in several churches in the Birmingham area as a Sunday School teacher, deacon, choir member, and chair of many committees and boards. In 1992, he was recognized by the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for twenty-five years of teaching Sunday School, first at Southside Baptist Church then First Baptist Church. In 1999 he received the Christian Service Recognition Award from Valley Christian Church. At the time of his death, he was a member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham.
Dr. Vess attended city schools, and upon graduation from Phillips High School in May, 1943, he joined the U.S Navy Air Corps and fought in the Pacific Theatre in WWII until May, 1946. He returned to Birmingham and graduated from Howard College (now Samford University) in 1948. He earned his M.A. degree in History at Vanderbilt University, won a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship for doctoral study at Harvard University, and completed his Ph.D. degree in 1965 at the University of Alabama.
Dr. Vess taught at Samford for a year (1949-50) and rejoined the faculty in 1957. During his 40 years at Samford, he became a role model for other faculty in classroom performance, student guidance, professional activity and alumni relations. During his years as head of the Department of History and Political Science (1970-85), his accomplishments included ending the salary inequality for women, recruiting outstanding
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