Davis, William Potter, Jr., 1924-2004
Dates
- Existence: 1924 - 2004
Biography
William P. Davis, Jr. was born on August 27, 1924, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a graduate of Oberlin College and went on to receive Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Physics at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. During World War II, he graduated first in his class at Midshipman's School at Cornell University and served as a Lieutenant j.g. in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor and was one of the last crew members to serve on the USS Manta, overseeing her decommissioning in 1946. Professor Davis joined Dartmouth's physics faculty in 1955, from the University of Michigan. In 1967, he was named to the then newly-established position of Assistant Provost. He remained in that liaison role between faculty and administration for three years, including a year in which he also served as Acting Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering. In late 1970, President Kemeny appointed him to another newly created position, Budget Officer; and in 1974 promoted him to Treasurer of the College. In the latter two positions he devoted his efforts to academic budgeting work - ranging from forecasting and planning to recording and control - until his retirement in 1985. Professor Davis died on November 27, 2004 in Exeter, NH.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Oral history interview with William P. Davis, Jr.
The oral history interview of William P. Davis, Jr. is comprised of audiocassette recordings and an indexed transcript of the recordings. The interview was conducted by Jane L. Carroll on February 19, 1997. The entire interview runs for approximately two hours and covers his thirty year teaching and administrative career at Dartmouth College, including the planning for and implementation of coeducation.
William Davis Jr. papers
William P. Davis, Jr. (1924-2004), professor of physics and administrator. Consists of correspondence, speech scripts, reprints, edited papers, instructional manuals, book reviews, photographs, research proposals, and lecture materials, articles and reports related to his tenure as professor in the physics department of Dartmouth College.