Scholar-Athletes Score Big With Former Basketball Player’s Gift

Cecil Clifton ’68 always loved Davidson: from the moment he was offered a basketball scholarship by Head Coach Lefty Driesell to when he found himself moving from Georgia to North Carolina and playing for two years, closing out his time on the team with the college’s first conference tournament win and inaugural trip to the NCAA Tournament. Cecil then pursued other interests, including the then-named Male Chorus, which was a highlight of his student years.

“Davidson had a transformational effect on me as a student,” he said. “I had come from what I thought was a really good, nationally ranked school system, but when I got to Davidson, I realized I wasn’t nearly as special as I thought I was. I had to make some adjustments to my own thinking and that was part of an important transformation.”

Cecil remained connected to Davidson as an alumnus, but his involvement multiplied after he and his wife, Jennie, moved to Davidson 11 years ago.

“Now we’re right across the street and it has been an eye-opening experience,” Cecil said. “When I was a student, we did homework and studied, but the opportunities now—from research to travel—are just incredible. It’s amazing what students are capable of doing these days.”

The Cliftons are committed to supporting those opportunities, which they have done through various gifts, including support of the Class of 1968 Internship Fund, an idea launched as part of the class’s 50th reunion gift. Cecil also has supported comprehensive alumni volunteer service efforts, which grew out of his class’s 45th reunion.

Most recently, Cecil and his family established a planned gift in support of Davidson’s new athletics facilities project, “Athletics Done Right—The Next Step.”

“Our gift is a recognition of the outstanding job Coach Scott Abell and his coaching staff have done with the football program,” Cecil explained. “It’s really special how they’ve turned the program around and made it into a consistent winner. We wanted to be supportive of those efforts.”

As a Davidson resident, Cecil has a front-row seat to the wonderful things happening at his alma mater, and his and Jennie’s contributions help ensure the college only gets better with each passing year.

Contact Dawn Smith at 704-894-2103 or dasmith@davidson.edu to learn how you can leave a legacy at Davidson College that reflects your passions and values while supporting our students.