A MAVERICK WHOSE IMPACT WAS NOT MEASURED IN POINTS, WINS, OR CHAMPIONSHIPS—BUT IN LIVES TOUCHED, CHARACTER MODELED, AND GENERATIONS SAFELY GUIDED. WE PROUDLY INDUCT GENE DAVIS INTO THE MCCUTCHEON ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, GENE DAVIS SERVED THE TIPPECANOE SCHOOL CORPORATION AS A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER. FOR OVER 40 OF THOSE YEARS, HE TRANSPORTED MCCUTCHEON ATHLETIC TEAMS TO CONTESTS ACROSS THE STATE OF INDIANA. BUT TO DESCRIBE GENE SIMPLY AS A BUS DRIVER WOULD FALL FAR SHORT OF THE ROLE HE PLAYED IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS AND COACHES.

GENE WAS A CONSTANT PRESENCE IN MCCUTCHEON ATHLETICS—A TRUSTED AND RELIABLE ROLE MODEL. HIS DEDICATION WAS SO PROFOUND THAT THE TSC TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT RE-WROTE ITS POLICIES BECAUSE OF HIM—CREATING A SYSTEM TO FAIRLY ASSIGN DRIVERS—SIMPLY BECAUSE EVERY MCCUTCHEON COACH REQUESTED GENE TO DRIVE THEIR TEAM. THAT LEVEL OF TRUST AND RESPECT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT GENE DAVIS.

GENE WAS LOVED BY THE MCCUTCHEON COMMUNITY BECAUSE HE LOVED THE MCCUTCHEON COMMUNITY. CHANCES ARE, IF YOU COMPETED IN ATHLETICS AT MCCUTCHEON—OR EVEN AT ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS—GENE DAVIS LIKELY DROVE YOU TO A GAME, TOURNAMENT, OR MEET. IN THOSE MOMENTS, LONG BEFORE THE OPENING WHISTLE, HE WAS ALREADY TEACHING LESSONS THAT LASTED A LIFETIME.

IN JANUARY OF 2023, IN RECOGNITION OF HIS LASTING IMPACT, THE MCCUTCHEON BOOSTER CLUB DEDICATED A BENCH IN GENE’S HONOR, NOW LOCATED NEAR DOOR A4, WHERE TEAMS GATHER BEFORE DEPARTING FOR COMPETITION. FOR GENERATIONS TO COME, FUTURE MAVERICKS WILL SIT ON THE GENE DAVIS BENCH, WAITING FOR THEIR BUS—JUST AS THOUSANDS DID BEFORE THEM—CARRYING FORWARD HIS LEGACY OF CARE, SERVICE, AND QUIET EXCELLENCE.

GENE DAVIS EXEMPLIFIED WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE OTHERS. HIS LIFE REMINDS US THAT THE HEART OF ATHLETICS IS NOT ONLY FOUND ON THE COURT OR FIELD, BUT IN THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE PARTICIPATION POSSIBLE. IT IS WITH DEEP GRATITUDE AND IMMENSE PRIDE THAT WE HONOR THE MEMORY OF GENE DAVIS AND INDUCT HIM INTO THE MCCUTCHEON ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.