Susannah Merry Hanson: Early Life, Family, Educational Background, and Career

Susannah Merry Hanson was best known as the daughter of Victor Davis Hanson. This article covers her background, education, and other important details of her life.

Early Life and Family

Suzy Susannah Merry Hanson was born December 31, 1986 in Selma, California. Her parents were the military historian Victor Davis Hanson and Cara Webb Hanson. Suzy was from a California lineage – a sixth-generation Davis family member who grew up on their small grape farm southwest of Selma. This was the farm her great-great-grandmother, Lucy Anna Davis, homesteaded in the late 1870s. It also was the birthplace of her paternal grandmother, Justice Pauline Davis Hanson of Fresno.

Educational Background

Suzy was thirsty for knowledge and she attended University High School on the California State University, Fresno campus. At the University of California, Suzy received a Bachelor of European History with a minor in Classical Studies. She continued her academic journey beyond that point. She later received a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University. In her various educational pursuits Suzy showed a keen interest in learning.

Career and Adventures

Suzy lived an adventure filled life. She was formerly a research analyst and biographer with the Office of University Advancement at the University of Southern California (USC). There she planned ways to raise money for USC’s graduate operations – especially the School of Medicine. But Suzy had interests outside of academia. She studied Spanish at Duoc UC Vocational College in Santiago, Chile, in 2008. She organized European historical tours each spring with her father, Victor Davis Hanson. Suzy planned these tours weeks before the group arrived. Love of travel and history combined beautifully.

Net Worth and Legacy

The exact figures are unclear but Suzy’s wealth went beyond material things. Her legacy will always be the lives she touched, the laughter she cracked and her zest for life. Her infectious laugh and boundless energy made anyone who knew Suzy smile.

Online Presence

Unlike today’s social media influencers, Suzy valued privacy. Her online footprint was small – a reflection of her deliberate way of life. She valued substance above superficiality.

Personal Life

At the age of 27 following a short illness, Suzy died on March 27 in Los Angeles, California. She was the apple of her father’s eye. Suzy’s spirit continues to remind us that a life well-lived is one of curiosity, laughter and purpose.

We celebrate Susannah Merry Hanson’s adventurous spirit and legacy.

Her Father, Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson was an American classicist, military historian and author. From California State University, Fresno, he earned his doctor of classics from Stanford University. Hanson has taught at California State University, Fresno and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Classics informs Hanson’s studies of military history – especially ancient Greece and Rome. And he’s written many books about these topics – historical analysis of military strategy and warfare. His writing appears outside academia in National Review and Wall Street Journal.