Photo by: Michael O'Neill S


ince her first day at work as a 17-year-old housekeeper on August 13, 1962, "Miss Betty" Davis has witnessed all kinds of transformation at Queens and in the wider


world, often from the inside out. For more than six decades, under six university presidents and 12 U.S. presidents, she has held different roles in every building on campus as the university and the world changed around her. But what hasn't changed deserves even deeper


recognition: Miss Betty's sense of love and service. A morning with Miss Betty shows in her own words that unwavering love and steadfast service are the wide-open secrets to her happy longevity in work and in life. "What I love most about this college is the children. Tey are mine," Miss Betty said one early fall morning,


after grabbing a visitor by the arm to make sure a full plate of breakfast appeared immediately before him. "You can't do much in the way of love and service without breakfast," Miss Betty admonished. Te nourishment that Miss Betty administers today as de facto boss of the dining hall, goes far beyond food. Her joyful smile and implacable good cheer draw students up and out of their cell phones, co-workers out of funks, and laughter out of homesickness. Miss Betty loves everybody. A young woman with dietary restrictions frets about her meal card. Miss Betty directs her to Miss Betty's Market, an alumni-funded takeaway store in the Trexler Student Center. Te market carries an array of convenience items such as sandwiches, yogurt, ibuprofen and Pop-Tarts. "You see something you want,


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