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A Gift to Inspire Student Voices
For Crystal Davis ’87 and Bev Blackwood II ’84, Rice University isn’t just where they earned their degrees, it’s where they built a life together. From late nights in the Thresher office to decades of service to the university, Rice has been woven into their story throughout.
Their journey began like so many others — two Texas students drawn to Rice for its academic excellence and affordability. But it was their shared love of student media that brought them together. They spent countless hours shaping the pages of the Thresher, Crystal as business manager and Bev in advertising sales.
“We used to joke about the Thresher, Campanile, KTRU and other folks being in the (then) ninth college — the Rice Memorial College — so it certainly shaped my social life,” Crystal said. “I had no plan during my undergraduate years to become an accountant, so serving as the business manager of the Thresher also shaped my eventual career path.”
After graduation, Crystal and Bev would eventually return to campus to work at the university, with Crystal recently marking 30 years of service as the current-use funds accounting manager in the Controller’s Office. Grateful for the lifetime of memories that Rice has given to them, Crystal and Bev wanted to give back.
In 2000, they established the Crystal D. Davis and Bev D. Blackwood II Endowment to support student-run media at Rice — whatever that media may look like in the decades to come.
“When I was at the Thresher, we were still waxing and pasting articles onto Bristol boards to send to the printer,” Crystal said. “Now, everything is digital. Student media will always exist in some form — I just don’t know what that form will be.”
More recently, Crystal wanted to augment their endowment, so she worked with Rice’s Office of Gift Planning to establish a Flip Charitable Remainder Unitrust.
“As the accountant in our marriage, I’ve always handled financial planning,” she explains. “This arrangement ensures Bev will receive payments if I pass away before him, and the remaining funds will go directly to student media at Rice — without the hassle of probate or additional arrangements.”
For those who are considering making a planned gift to Rice, Crystal has simple advice: “Bev and I are very ordinary people,” she says. “Planned giving isn’t only for the ultra-wealthy — it’s for anyone who wants to make a lasting impact.”
