A Belief in the Antioch Approach
By Rachel Moulton ’97

Frank and Kay Davis have been donating to Antioch College since 1975, one year after their son Paul Franklin Davis ’74 graduated and three years before their daughter Ann Leslie Davis ’78 graduated. They’ve given what they can every year, and this year they were able to offer their largest donation to date, a gift of $100,000 to the Annual Fund. Even more impressive than the size of this latest gift is their continuous commitment to the College; their unwavering support and belief that Antioch offers the kind of education that changes lives.

When asked what caused both their children to be drawn to Antioch, Frank and Kay laughed conspiratorially and then Frank added, “It may have been parental influence.” Paul, Kay explained, had been in a large high school and was not a traditional learner. “We wanted a college that was not overwhelming and didn’t concentrate on sports and fraternities,” said Kay.

Frank and Kay first heard about Antioch through a friend whose daughter had come to the College. These friends were very impressed with the work-study program and what their daughter had gotten out of it. Despite the fact that Frank worked at a large university where their kids could have gone for free, Kay and Frank both felt Antioch was the right choice. “I liked the idea of studying and working and going out into the real world to find out about yourself. The fact that they have to find the jobs, get accepted, get there by themselves, and find a place to live is very important for young people. And they get an education at the same time!” said Kay.

“Antioch taught me how to find things out for myself,” said Paul, Kay and Frank’s son. While at Antioch, Paul pursued environmental studies and worked closely with Stan Bernstein, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, who he said “stands out as one of the best professors.” Perhaps even more influential and memorable than the faculty were the programs and jobs Paul pursued off campus. Paul was a member of one of the earliest Environmental Field Programs, an off-campus field program facilitated by upper-class students and mentored by faculty. The trip took him down the East Coast of Florida.

“The co-op jobs were as important as the study experience in terms of helping me to understand the kinds of things I enjoyed doing,” said Paul some 25 years later. “The best co-op in terms of being relevant to my major was working for the Governor’s Office for the state of Georgia in 1973. Jimmy Carter was governor.” Paul never actually met Carter, but he was officially an employee of the Governor’s office, and worked on an environmental survey of the Flint River Valley. “It [the job] exposed me to a lot of different tools and techniques that planners use to come up with recommendations and plans for land use in a large state setting,” said Paul.

Paul ended up going to grad school at the University of Texas for several years to study zoology. While he was working on his doctoral project, he became interested in data on herbivore plant interactions with insects. During this time he found that he’d developed a real interest in the science of ecology. “I started analyzing data on the computer – at that time we didn’t have desktops – and got really interested in database software and learned how to program. I ended up leaving school and working for an agency in Austin for a nonprofit doing evaluation database programming and general computer work.” A self-taught computer programmer, Paul opened up his own business as a consultant, a move that he feels “embodies the true Antioch spirit of adapting to circumstances.”

While at Antioch, Paul met his wife, Roberta “Robbie” Blumber Davis ’75. Robbie transferred from Simmons to Antioch in the 70s. She now has a master’s from Wright State University and a Ph.D in social work from the University of Texas. Today, Paul and Robbie live together in Austin, Texas. Paul is a database developer who runs his own business creating custom database software and websites. Robbie is retired from the State of Texas, where she worked for 18 years as a health services planner, and currently volunteers for local schools and community organizations.

Ann Davis came to Antioch after a year at Reed College and a short stint at Rutgers, where her father was a professor of biochemistry. Ann first went to Reed College and then Rutgers where the large class sizes did not meet her needs. Ann’s brother’s experience at Antioch encouraged her to give the College a try. At Antioch, Ann majored in science, more specifically in biology, hoping to follow in her father’s footsteps. “I think she had to prove she could do science because her dad is a scientist. I’m in the arts. She didn’t see that as a real career. Now she does,” said Kay.

Antioch stuck and after getting her bachelor’s, she worked in DC for two or three years for the government, writing scientific abstracts. It was during this period that she got so fed-up with her field that she decided to move into a different line of work entirely.

Ann got her master’s and became a reporter in New Hampshire. She wrote feature stories, some of which led her far from home. One piece in particular had a strong impact on Ann. She wrote about a group of Native-American teachers from a reservation in South Dakota, and because of this article, she ended up teaching at the reservation in their English department for three years. The third year she was there she met Peter – a curator for the Native American Museum in Berlin, Germany, and her current partner. Ann now lives in Berlin, Germany, in a house they renovated. They have two children. Ann is currently involved in a fight to keep the Kennedy School open– a school for bilingual students.

Paul and Ann appreciate their parent’s continued commitment to Antioch. “I’m really proud of my parent’s for having made a gift to Antioch, and I hope others who are able will also support the College,” said Paul.

When asked what made the Davises encourage both their children to pick Antioch, and what has made them give in the years since then, they reply quite simply: “We believe in the Antioch approach to education.”

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