(Columbia, SC) – Please join Allen University as we commemorate the life of four-time champion Pittsburgh Steeler and former Allenite, Mr. Sam Davis, on March 14, 2022, at 11:00am in Adams Gymnasium on the campus of Allen University. This event is open to the public.

The development of a four-million-dollar endowment scholarship for Sam Davis is an alumni campaign initiated by the Columbia chapter with the full support of the General Alumni Association of Allen University, Inc. Sam Davis was a passionate student athlete at Allen from 1963-1967. As a senior at Allen, Mr. Davis helped his team achieve 983 rushing yards, 913 passing yards, and 181 points on the board. As a free agent, he was drafted to the Pittsburgh Steelers and started as their left offensive guard from 1970-1979. To honor his professional accomplishments, Allen retired his jersey in 2005.

The Columbia Chapter of the General Alumni Association of Allen University, Inc., aims to provide 57 athletics scholarships. The 57 scholarships represent the number Mr. Davis wore during an exemplary career as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Allen’s Alumni President, Mr. Lamar Brown said, “The Sam Davis Memorial Athletics Scholarship Fund is a terrific opportunity for student athletes attending Allen University, and a reminder that it’s not about where you come from, it’s about where you’re going. When preparation meets opportunity, it means achieving all that can be imagined.”

The scholarships are intended to enhance competitive recruitment for student athletes. Strengthening recruitment will significantly increase enrollment and student retention. It will also aid the University in attracting quality faculty and staff and expanding academic offerings.

The Sam Davis Memorial Athletics Scholarship Fund by the General Alumni Association of Allen University, Inc. is an excellent example of the organization’s willingness to independently establish programs and initiatives that support AU students. The Association plans to renew an equal number of scholarships every four years.

About Allen University

Allen University is a private Historically Black College/University (HBCU), and a leading liberal arts institution dedicated to shaping scholars into innovative thinkers, impactful workers, and community change agents. Located in Columbia, SC, Allen University is the only HBCU in the state with seminary program and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degrees.