Varsity Centre receives its first gift
Dec 05/06by : Communications
John Davenport relished his time at the University of Toronto. A 1929 chemical engineering graduate and Varsity pole vault champion, Davenport set the standard for getting the most out of the university experience, both inside and outside the classroom.
It’s fitting, then, that the first major gift of the Varsity Centre campaign should come from the Davenport Family Foundation, in the form a $1.7 million donation to name the John L. Davenport Track.
“Dad and Mom were both very fond of the university, and very involved in their school,” says Peter Davenport. “They tried to do more than just the academic routine.”
While balancing his demanding engineering course load, the senior Davenport showed remarkable athletic promise during all four years at U of T. He won the Canadian pole vault championship in 1928 and, as captain of the track team in
1928 - 1929, led the Varsity Blues to the coveted Intercollegiate Track Trophy.
Recalling his childhood, Peter says, “My father would fill me with stories of competition and the importance of doing your best, not only in studies but in athletics as well.”
The decision to support Varsity Centre just “made sense,” he says. “If Dad were alive today and this opportunity came up, he would write a cheque instantly – it was that important to him.”
The Davenport name is a familiar one at U of T, which already enjoys the John and Edna Davenport Chemical Research Building and the renovated Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories thanks to the family’s generous support.
This gift marks the beginning of a capital campaign aimed at raising over $40 million for a range of facilities that will help Varsity Centre reach its full potential.
“The Davenport gift is a tremendous kick-start to our fundraising efforts,” says Dean Bruce Kidd. “John Davenport’s academic and athletic accomplishments are the ideal reflection of the philosophy behind the new Varsity Centre, which
centres on contributing to the fullness of the student experience here at the University of Toronto.”