Marvin Pierce

Marvin "Monk" Pierce was born on June 17, 1893, in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. His parents were Mabel Pierce (née Marvin), who lived from 1869 to 1955, and Scott Pierce (1866–1945). Scott Pierce was employed as an insurance salesman in Dayton, Ohio. Marvin Pierce's ancestor, Thomas Pierce (1618–1683), was an early New England colonist and also an ancestor of Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States.

Pierce attended Steele High School in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated in 1916 from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. During his college years, he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and participated actively as an athlete in football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. He earned the nickname "Monk" during this period and was posthumously inducted into Miami University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972. Furthering his education, Pierce obtained graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in civil engineering and from Harvard University in architectural engineering.

Professionally, Marvin Pierce served as the president of the McCall Corporation, the publishing company responsible for magazines such as Redbook and McCall's, which targeted a female readership.

In his personal life, Marvin Pierce married Pauline Robinson in August 1918. Pauline Robinson was born on April 28, 1896, and was the daughter of Ohio Supreme Court justice James E. Robinson and Lula Dell Flickinger. The couple had four children: Martha Pierce Rafferty (1920–1999), who was the mother of filmmakers Kevin Rafferty and Pierce Rafferty; James Pierce (1922–1993); Barbara Pierce Bush (1925–2018), who served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993; and Scott Pierce (1930–2022).

Pauline Robinson was described in W magazine as "beautiful, fabulous, critical, and meddling" and was noted as a former beauty from Ohio with extravagant tastes. She died at the age of 53 in September 1949 in an automotive accident when Marvin, who was driving, hit a tree in Harrison, Westchester County, New York. Their death was followed by the death of their granddaughter Pauline Robinson Bush (1949–1953), who was named after her.

Marvin Pierce's marriage to Pauline Robinson ended with her death. In June 1952, he married Willa Gray Martin (1911–2006), an artist and Associated Press reporter. Willa Gray Martin died during the presidency of Marvin Pierce's grandson, George W. Bush.

Marvin Pierce was a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His children include Martha, James, Barbara, and Scott. He is the grandfather of former U.S. President George W. Bush and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, both of whom are children of Barbara Pierce Bush. His lineage includes at least 17 great-grandchildren, among them Jenna Bush Hager, and at least 11 great-great-grandchildren, including five through George W. Bush.

Marvin Pierce died on July 17, 1969, at the age of 76 in Rye, New York. He was burried at Greenwood Union Cemetery. His survivors included his children, their spouses, and grandchildren, including George W. Bush and Jeb Bush.