University of the Pacific

Max Paulsen earned induction into the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame as a contributor. Max was a founder of the Pacific Athletic Foundation in 1970 and was the top-ranked Fund Drive Worker for decades. 

Max was raised in South Dakota, and didn’t attend Pacific. In 1961, he moved from Davenport-Waterloo, Iowa, to Stockton to manage the New York Life office. He soon became a fixture at many of Pacific’s events, especially men’s basketball games. Paulsen and his wife of 72 years, Marion, had courtside seats at Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium and the Alex G. Spanos Center. 

Max was never more a Tigers fan than when his son, Rick, played baseball and basketball at the university from 1978-82. Rick played on Pacific’s 1978-79 Pacific Coast Athletic Association championship basketball team, coached by Stan Morrison. 

After graduating from Pacific, Rick followed his dad’s path as an agent for New York Life. They became a team that routinely topped Pacific’s annual list of athletic department fundraisers. Over the course of more than 20 years, the Paulsens brought in more than $2 million to help fund scholarships and other needs in the department. 

Max was a past president of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce and the United Way. He was a Rotarian and served on the boards of St. Mary’s High, Presentation Church and Junior Achievement.