One of Bob and Etta Davis’s first dates was to go to a high-school football game together. They attended games on the University of Chattanooga campus when legendary “Scrappy” Moore was coach, and their love of sports persisted over the years.
Etta Davis died recently, but throughout her life both she and her husband took a personal interest in many UT Chattanooga athletes, who, like adopted children, called and visited long after they graduated. UTC Mocs head coach Rodney Allison is among the many who revere “Coach Bob.”
“Bob means as much to this program as anybody associated with it,” Allison says. “I consider him to be part of the UTC football family in the highest sense.”
Bob can be seen on the sidelines with the team at almost every game, while Etta usually kept a check on things from the skybox. But the Davises did more than just attend games. Demonstrating their lifelong commitment, they decided to leave $600,000 out of their estate to UTC athletics.
“We’ve always supported UTC athletics and felt like a planned gift was the way to go,” Bob says. “It’s something we should have done long ago.”
Their passion for UTC extended beyond just football. They are longtime season-ticket holders to men’s and women’s basketball and members of the Mocs Club, the Inner Circle, and the Tower Society. The Davises were members of the UT Benefactor’s Society giving club for many years and recently moved up to the Charles Dabney Society.
Thanks to the Davises’ bequest, UTC’s student athletes will benefit for years to come.
