Marion Lucile Davis was born on August 8, 1935 in Boston, Massachusetts to Walter M. Davis and Carolyn B. Thompson Davis. She attended Girls' Latin School (Boston, Massachusetts) from 1947-1952 and then went to Mount Holyoke College between 1952-1956 receiving a B.A. in zoology. In January 1957 she worked as a laboratory research assistant at Tufts University and in July of that year worked on a government project as a research assistant and technician in the university's Biology Department. She taught at Center School in Lynfield Center, Massachusetts September 1957-June 1959. Ulmer was a part time graduate student at Tufts University from 1957-1959 and completed a Master's Degree in Education. She married Willard George Ulmer and they had two children.

The Marion Davis Ulmer Papers consist of course records and photographs. The material in this collection chiefly relates to her years as a Mount Holyoke College student, 1952-1956. These papers primarily consists of course records, including notebooks, notes, laboratory work and examinations. The majority of these records are for zoology courses. Other records relate to courses in chemistry, economics, education, English, German, philosophy, psychology and sociology. The photographs consists of two photographs taken on Mountain Day, ca. 1955, a photograph of her dated ca. 1956, another photograph taken while she was a student at Mount Holyoke College, and a photograph of her two sons, ca.1970-1975.

This collection is organized into two series:

• Course Records
• Photographs