Dr. John Davitt - Meritorious Service

Though he seemed a bit skeptical at having his picture taken recently in the stands adjacent to Sartoris Field and on the tennis courts that border Mountain St, Dr. John Davitt was home again. Not just home on campus, but with his feet planted firmly on the very surfaces that have made such a difference for student-athletes at Glendale Community College.

It was as if he had grabbed a hammer and nails and transformed Glendale College by himself. But the man who had more to do with altering the look of this beautiful campus over his 21-year run as Superintendent/President from 1985 to 2006 does not see himself as a visionary, although his name on the administration building suggests as much.

Davitt’s induction into the athletic hall of fame for his meritorious service to the college has more to do with his leadership and trust in his staff than refurbishing an athletic field and building six tennis courts. It had to do with building on the idea that students could benefit from updated and expanded facilities, like creating and expanding the fitness center.

“Dr. Davitt provided the administrative support and leadership necessary or an athletic program to be successful over a long period of time. His expectation that our athletic program would always put the good of the student athlete first over wins and losses provided the cornerstone of our athletic department's philosophy,’’ said former men’s athletic director Jim Sartoris. “The successful tradition that GlendaleCollege Athletics enjoys can certainly be attributable, in part, to the support and guidance Dr. Davitt provided to our athletic administrators, coaches and support staff.

“We did things the right way-ran a clean program and provided opportunities for athletic and academic success to our student athletes because that was the Glendale way. The athletic program, like all the very successful programs at GCC, owes so much to the leadership Dr. Davitt has provided over his 21-yeartenure as Superintendent/President.’’

Building and strengthening relationships on campus through shared governance also worked well off campus as he tapped into his and the college’s business contacts, particularly Oliver Shokoufrom Harley Davidson of Glendale, to help fund athletic projects on campus and increase fundraising for the college.

Shokou and Harley Davidson stepped up in 2006 to fund the press box adjacent to Sartoris Field and in 2007 agreed to become the grand sponsor for the Glendale College Foundation Golf Tournament, which will have its annual event on June 8, 2009.

Though retired, Davitt still works tirelessly on behalf of the college as a member of the Foundation Board of Directors and the golf committee. He attends several events every year in support of the school where he worked for almost 40 years. He even had a hand in the creation of the athletic hall of fame when J. Walter Smith first brought him the idea in 2001 and eight years later, it has become one of the most successful and popular events on campus. Dr. John Davitt’s induction into this select group underlines his place as one of the most influential people in the history of Glendale College