Davenport's Endow Scholarship

William "Bill" Davenport and his wife Clarice of Kinston believe education is important. They believe it so much that not only did they see that their children got an education, but now they are helping their grandchildren achieve their educational goals as well.

Because of their belief that education opens doors, the Davenports have endowed a scholarship through the Lenoir Community College Foundation. The William H. and Clarice P. Davenport Scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving student.

Davenport was the fourth of six children. His parents, William Haywood Davenport and Nora Smith were living in Deep Run when he was born, but decided four years later to move closer to Kinston. According to Clarice, it was because they believed their children could get a better education in the city schools.

Mrs. Davenport said that her husband's father bought the farm property that LCC sits on today and built a house on it, the same house that was recently moved from the property next to the college. "Shortly after that his father bought a house in Kinston and the family moved into town where all the children graduated from Grainger High School and went on to college."

Davenport graduated from North Carolina State University in 1940. He attended ROTC while in college and graduated just in time to be called into active duty in World War II. He served his country four and a half years. After returning home, he married and lived in Roxboro. "He had five children and educated them all," Mrs. Davenport said. "He is now helping to send his grandchildren to college."

After retiring with 40 years of service from the USDA, Farmers Home Administration, his first wife died and he married Clarice in 1996. "Bill was my supervisor at USDA in Jones County," she laughed. "I had worked there for 30 years. When he came to the Trenton office, we got along fine. I remember seeing him way before that for the first time in the 1940s when I was setting up some information in Raleigh. I have a lot of respect for Bill."

Mrs. Davenport said her parents, Hugh and Lila Pollock Loftin also instilled the importance of education in her. She and her late husband, Fred Rogers Pollock, had three children, all of whom graduated from LCC and one of whom transferred to and graduated from East Carolina University.

"All our grandchildren (13 in all) know they are going to college," Davenport said. "It makes a difference. This scholarship will help others and hopefully give someone a chance at education. This college will continue to grow and help more and more people."