Marcia Metcalf Davenport

As a mother, a student, a daughter and grand daughter, Marcia Davenport is part of an ongoing legacy at the University of Arizona. Her grandfather, Walter Cunningham, came to Tucson in 1914 to join the faculty at the U of A where he established the Dairy Department in the College of Agriculture. He was joined shortly thereafter by his wife Clara. They resided near campus on 4th Street.

Marcia was born in Tucson to Joseph and Margaret Cunningham Metcalf in 1947.

Margaret, also born in Tucson and a Tucson High School graduate, attended and graduated from the U oF A in the College of Education.She was the Freeman Medal Award winner as the Outstanding Female Senior Graduate. She is honored in the Women's Plaza adjacent to Marcia.

Margaret met Joe who was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB prior to his deployment to Europe as a B24 pilot in WWII.
After the war he also attended and graduated from the U of A on the G.I. Bill. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and went on to a successful business career as an executive with Sears.

Marcia became the third generation "Wildcat" when she enrolled in 1965.

She was not only active at the U of A, but served in many leadership roles. She was an officer in her sorority, Alpha Phi, Angel Flight and the Student Union Activity Board. She was secretary of The Sophomore Women's Honorary (Spurs), Treasurer of The Junior Women's Honorary (Chimes) and elected to Who"s Who in American Colleges and Universities.

Marcia graduated in 1969 with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and married David Davenport.

After spending time working in southern California, while David finished his getting his dental degree at USC, then serving time in the Air Force, they returned to Tucson where thy began raising their family.

She became active and an officer in Junior League, Chairman of The Noche De Las Frijoles for the Tucson Museum of Art, President of The Southern Arizona Dental Auxiliary and The Arizona State Dental Auxiliary. She was also a charter member of The Angel Charity for Children and taught Visual Literacy (an arts and literature class in the primary grades) for the Tucson Unified School District.

Her most important commitment, however, was that of being an unbelievable mother to our three children Deron, Amy and Julie.

The next generation of Wildcats came when our son Deron graduated from the U of A in 1997.

As the grandmother of five, who all live here in Tucson, Marcia now enjoys sharing time with each and everyone of them, traveling with Dave, with whom she just celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary and celebrating all things good, while waiting to see who will be be the one to carry on the tradition and be the 5th generation to carry on the University of Arizona legacy.

Marcia continues to set the standard as a leader and a kind and wonderful person who exemplifies all that is good.