Grace Montanez Davis M.A. ’55

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It’s no accident that Grace Montanez Davis has been honored with a list of awards as extensive as her contributions to the community. A native of Los Angeles who earned a master’s degree in microbiology from UCLA in 1955, she has been active in public service since 1954, when she organized the first Spanish language Americanization class in West Los Angeles. She formally entered public administration in 1964, as administrative assistant to Congressman George Brown, Jr. She worked for the United States Department of Labor from 1966 to 1973 and served as director of human resources for the city of Los Angeles from 1973 to 1975, before becoming deputy mayor. As the first Mexican-American woman to serve in that capacity, Montanez Davis has been particularly active as an advocate for women, minorities and the underprivileged. Beyond City Hall, she devotes considerable time and energy to an array of community organizations and has earned a reputation for taking a personal interest in the welfare of her constituents. Amid all her activities, she still retains close ties to UCLA. She is a life member of the Alumni Association and has been working to establish a Latino Alumni Association. She also regularly donates research material to the University library system. Warm, compassionate and empathetic, she is the exemplary public servant – a person who cares, above all, about people.