(1905 – 1987)
Born in a two-room house just off the intersection of Glenn Avenue and Gay Street, Dave Ingram lived his entire life in Auburn. He came into this world in September 1905 and departed in May 1987.
Dave Ingram began working for Auburn University in 1919. He was just a youngster cleaning various buildings on campus. After two years, he was permanently assigned to the Extension Service headquarters building on Ag Hill as janitor, mailman, and chauffeur. It was through that last title that he won recognition for his dedication and perseverance.
Taught to drive on a 1920 Dodge by Emmett Sizemore, Dave never missed an appointment or had an accident. His most important assignment was to ferry specialists to the Railroad Station in Opelika. Even when the roads were clogged with mud, he always got his riders to the train on time.
For 47 years, Dave Ingram served as chauffeur, mailman, and janitor — sometimes all three simultaneously. At Extension, everybody was Dave Ingram’s friend. “I tried to do my work well so this would come,” he said at his retirement ceremony. He went on to say, “The Extension Service is a fine organization and they have some mighty good people. I’m going to miss being around here.”
With those words and the deep love he had for Extension and its people, Dave Ingram took his leave to spend his retirement in his beloved Auburn. In honor of his life and work, the name Dave Ingram is inscribed on the dedicatory plaque of the Extension Memorial Chapel.
Chapel Plaque Inscription Number: 247
