From player to manager, to umpire, to national deputy and to commissioner. Claud (Chuck) Davenport did them all in a career that spanned two decades. After a brief stint as a manager, Davenport started umpiring in 1973 and by 1979 was a member of the ASA national umpire staff. He remained a member of the staff until 1984. Davenport served as the UIC at eight ASA nationals and the 1983 U.S. Olympic Festival in Colorado Springs, CO. He was an instructor at National Umpire Schools from 1983-1984 and in1995 was awarded the National Award of Excellence at the UIC Clinic in Oklahoma City. In 1984, Davenport was named Kansas ASA commissioner and remained in that position until retiring in1994. During his tenure as commissioner, he established the Kansas Softball Hall of Fame and Honor, an annual convention and honors banquet and a scholarship fund. He also increased team registration from 1,110 to more than 2,000 teams. He was an ASA rep at 10 nationals and chaired the umpire committee from 1988-1991. Twice he served as Region 12 vice-president. He is a 21 year Army veteran and earned a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars while serving in Korea and Vietnam. He was born October 5, 1932 in Canton, MO.
