Who's Who: James and Mae Givens

Berkeley residents for over sixty years, James and Mae Givens first met each other in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they grew up just two blocks from one another and played together as children. 

Enticed by the promise of plentiful work, James moved to Berkeley in 1942, attending college and beginning what would be a thirty year career as a longshoreman with the Pacific Maritime Association. Mae moved to Berkeley shortly thereafter, in 1948, living with her aunt and uncle while working at Joseph Magnin’s. She later established a long career at where she worked in the administrative department of the Office of the President until her retirement in 1988.

With friends in common, James and Mae found themselves once more running in the same social circles. “I honestly can’t remember now how we started dating,” Mae laughingly recalls. “But we did,” she said, and in 1950 they were married. “It’s hard to believe it’s been sixty one years,” Mae said, elbowing James and winking at him playfully, “and I haven’t divorced him yet!”

James and Mae bought their house in South Berkeley in 1962 and moved in on Mae’s birthday. They were drawn to the beauty of the house, its rose trees and manicured lawn, and “the nice, friendly neighbors,” they said. They raised their two children there and appreciated how well-situated everything in Berkeley was for young parents. “The schools were close, the park was around the corner, and transportation was easy,” James explained.

They still enjoy living in Berkeley, after all these years. “It’s a small city, you know, quiet, and very convenient,” they both explained. “We’ve always loved living here.”