Meet Jerry Davis, a Philanthropist for More than 60 Years
Blessed and thankful. That is how Jerry Davis sums up his long and full life filled with faith, family, work, and service.
Born in 1930 and raised on his family farm near McFarland, Calif., Davis served on the University of La Verne Board of Trustees from 1975-1995, and then as a Trustee Emeritus for 20 more years. In addition to his board service, Davis followed in his mother’s footsteps of philanthropy to the university, and became a donor in 1957.
“I have not missed a year of giving to the University of La Verne since I started working in 1957,” said Davis. “Some years were greater than others based on my income and what was going on in my life. But giving something every year has been a lifelong commitment. Some years were more fruitful, like the year we paid for all the equipment in the university’s student kitchen.”
Davis’ ties to the University of La Verne go back several generations. He learned about the university (then called La Verne College ) from his mother and sister, who each attended the university. He also attended La Verne College for two years, focusing on chemistry and physics before heading to University of California, Davis, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy. He applied his knowledge about and love for agriculture to his family crop and dairy farm after graduating college, marrying, and completing a five-year service mission with his new bride in Puerto Rico.
Davis met the love of his life, Berkely, when he was just 17 and she was 16. They continued to date as Berkely went on to attend University of California, Berkeley, while Jerry attended U.C., Davis. Prior to her death in 2020, the couple raised four children and were blessed with 15 grandchildren and 14 (soon to be 17) great grandchildren aged one to 15.
A man of faith, Davis attributes his long life to many things, but paramount on that list is an abundance of love for his family, community and God; eating right and exercising; good genes; and holding a healthy dose of optimism about the world and people.
Over 11 decades, Davis has seen the world dramatically change. “Although human nature has not changed much, society, technology and business have.” said Davis. “Today’s college students and graduates need to understand change is constant and to succeed and contribute to society, they need to have the critical thinking and adaptive skills to deal with rapid change and ambiguity. They also need to learn that not everything in life turns out as you expect, so you need to pivot. The University of La Verne understands this, and faculty do a good job of helping students learn the skills they will need in a changing and challenging world. They impress upon students the value of becoming a lifelong learner (a university value). This is essential for adaptation.”
When asked what he thinks the University of La Verne’s best-kept secrets are, he said the ability to offer a high-quality education with personal mentorship from caring faculty and to fundraise enough money to create scholarships that enable first-generation and other students who may not have traditional access points to college to attend and graduate from college.
“Without fundraising and the generosity of donors, the college cannot evolve to meet society’s needs or provide lifechanging scholarships. Both are critical to the success of the university and our community,” Davis added.
Today Davis stays busy with the activities of his great grandchildren, teaching English at the Newcomers Access Center in Claremont, exercise classes, and serving as a member of the community emergency response team at Hillcrest retirement community, where he also served as a board member twice over the past 20 years.
Davis truly embodies the values of the University of La Verne and has lived a lifetime of service and philanthropy. The university has been the recipient of and is grateful for both.