Historic financial gift includes CVPA

Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis address an audience in the Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis Performance Hall

Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis address the audience in the newly named Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis Performance Hall

Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, First Lady Marisela Rosas Hemphill, Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis
Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, First Lady Marisela Rosas Hemphill, Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis

In a campus-wide event held on October 3, 2018, Radford University announced the largest gift from an individual in the university’s history. Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis donated a generous sum of eight million dollars to the university. The funds will be used to endow scholarships for students studying in the College of Business and Economics as well as the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Their gift was recognized by announcing the newly named Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis College of Business and Economics. In addition, the performance hall housed in the Covington Center for Visual and Performing Arts has been renamed to the Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis Performance Hall.

During the ceremony William C. Davis stated, “It’s a great moment for Sandra and myself and we hope a great moment for Radford. On behalf of both of us, we thank you for sharing this happy moment with us.”

President Brian O. Hemphill and William C. Davis hug at the announcement of the historic donation

Scholarship awards will be provided exclusively to incoming freshmen and transfer students studying in the Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis College of Business and Economics as well as those studying in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Davis Scholars studying in either college will be full time Radford University students and Virginia residents with a 3.5 high school or college transfer GPA. Implementation of the scholarships will come in phases, with three Davis Scholars being selected the first year, eventually leading to a total of eighty scholarships being awarded each academic year.

Details of the gift were kept hushed until the formal public announcement. Margaret Devaney, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, was elated to learn of the substantial donation that will provide students with additional support for studies in the arts. “The College of Visual and Performing Arts will receive as part of this major gift donation $2.6 million dollars. This financial support will inspire generations of art students to pursue their dreams while using their creative talents to enrich the world we live in,” said Devaney.

Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill stated, “Sandy and Jack’s monumental gift will produce a lifetime of Davis Scholars, who will excel in the classroom, dedicate themselves to their chosen professions and provide their time and talent to the communities in which they live and work.”

Oct 5, 2018
Jason S. Hutchens Ed.D.
540-831-6237
jshutchens@radford.edu