Dr. Glenna Belle Davis came to John Brown University in the fall of 1964 when the only physical activities for women were cheerleading and intramural sports. She established the Women's Recreation Association to provide competitive opportunities for the women students against other colleges as the initial step for the establishment of intercollegiate athletics for women.

Over the next ten years, she was the prime mover behind the development of women's varsity volleyball, basketball and softball. She served as coach, administrator and supervisor of women's athletics, while at the same time pursuing a doctorate in Physical Education and tending to her family. For over thirty years, she served a Christian role model while laying a firm foundation for the health and physical education programs. Dr. Davis retired from full-time teaching in 1994 and continued to teach in the Health Sciences department for an additional five years.