A Legacy of Love

Barbara Jean Davis and Allan Grimm were married the summer of 1964 on DU’s campus. “When we got engaged, Barbara Jean told me we had to get married in Evans Chapel,” Grimm says. “She loved that place.” Davis had grown up near campus and received her education degree from DU in 1958. When Evans Chapel was relocated, brick by brick, from downtown to the University Park campus in 1960, she would often watch workers as they reassembled the historic structure, and she frequently spent time there after it was complete. Years later, when Al and Barbara Jean would come back to Denver, they always made a point to stop by campus and sit in the chapel.

Later in life, Davis had the idea to include a gift in their will to DU for the upkeep and maintenance of Evans Chapel, which had meant so much to her. While she was alive, they made the decision not to notify the University of their gift, as they “didn’t want the recognition,” Grimm says. However, after her passing, Grimm felt it was important that he notify the University of this gift, and he’s glad that he did. Because of the conversations with DU, he was able to put a fund agreement in place that will establish the Barbara Jean (Davis) and Allan Grimm Endowment for Evans Chapel.

To Grimm, this gift is about honoring Davis’ wish that Evans Chapel remain in good condition for years to come, so that future generations of students and alumni can create their own memories there. “She was simply the best,” Grimm says. “That’s all there is to say.”