Mary Alice Shulman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1923. After graduating from Withrow High School in 1942, she began what would turn out to be a long relationship with the University of Michigan. She earned a BA in 1944 and an MA in 1948, both from U-M. After graduation she was a teaching fellow in 1947-48 and 1949-51 before her appointment as instructor of economics from 1951-2952 and 1962-1963. She was a lecturer from 1963-1974. After 24 years of teaching economics at U-M and Northwestern University, she retired.

"I was touched when I saw Mary Alice's obituary that encouraged people to donate to Heifer International, an organization that increases the wealth of a poor family, in lieu of flowers. This was the unusual, atypical, sensible kind of thing that Mary Alice would do," says U-M colleague Helen Crafton.

Mary Alice's community involvement included the Delta Gamma Sorority, the U-M Alumni Association, the Margaret Waterman group, the Washtenaw County Chapter of AARP, AARP State Legislative Committee, U of M Alumnae Council, and the U-M chapter of the American Association of University Women.

Her obituary can be found on MLive.