A Perfect Marriage—for 50 Years?

By Purnell T. Cropper | February 9, 2010

What does it take to stay happily married for 50 years? Marcia May Hummers ’58 and Edward Hummers have an answer.

“I heard long ago that when your spouse and family come first, you’ll have wonderful times and enjoy your married life together,” says Marcia. Their devotion to each other and shared interests have resulted in a perfect marriage. Making a commitment to each other and to their family has been not only the secret to their successful marriage, but also the foundation for giving to their colleges. They support the annual funds of both their universities and, when considering a charitable bequest, decided to make gifts to Marcia’s alma mater, Arcadia University, and to Ed’s school, Lehigh University.

Ed agrees, adding, “There is no substitution for substantive knowledge. Academics, however, is not all that one gains from the college experience. Learning to deal with different interests, academic achievement, background, and experiences help shape your ability to deal with differences in the ‘real world,’ whether in business or social settings.”

Although Marcia had considered going to other colleges, “Beaver turned out to be the right choice for me,” she says. “My parents were right to send me to Beaver College, and it worked out well that I was close to Ed at Lehigh.” The two were married shortly after graduation on July 12, 1958.