Davenport University is an institution in more than the academic sense; it is a community institution, one that has contributed more to the ongoing business environment of Grand Rapids and West Michigan than any other single entity. It is an institution nearly as old as the city itself. It has survived every major adversity the nation has experienced since its post-Civil War beginnings, and has prospered when similar institutions were failing by the dozens. Its record of success is a tribute to visionary leadership, responsiveness to the dynamics of economic, social, and political change, and most of all, adherence to an abiding premise: “Make a Living; Make a Life; Make a Contribution.” Around this simple but eloquent motto M.E. Davenport shaped a college.
Mr. Davenport’s personal creed has provided the direction for the college’s ongoing commitment to training, improvement, and personal enrichment. A person’s ability to “make a life,” Davenport insisted, depended first upon his or her ability to make a living. The synthesis of the two prepared a person to make a contribution.
From History of an Institution by Peggy Sneden Moceri
At Davenport, you are educated with the knowledge and skills to make a living. Through Davenport, you can use your education and skills to make a life for yourself. To Davenport, you are invited to make a contribution.