Davidson College
Encyclopedia
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college
in Davidson
, North Carolina
. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News and World Report's latest rankings. In 2011, Davidson was ranked the 5th best liberal arts college in the United States by Kiplinger's Personal Finance
.
Both the town and college were named after Brigadier General William Lee Davidson
, a Revolutionary War commander. The land for the college came from General Davidson's estate, a large portion of which was donated by his son. The college was established by Presbyterians in 1837 and maintains a loose affiliation with that denomination. According to its Statement of Purpose, "the ties that bind the college to its Presbyterian heritage . . . have remained close and strong" but the dedication of the college "extends beyond the Christian community to the whole of humanity and necessarily includes openness to and respect for the world’s various religious traditions." Majors are offered in over twenty fields, as are several minors and self-designed interdisciplinary options.
, Davidson is ranked among the top twenty colleges nationally for the following categories: "Best Overall Academic Experience For Undergraduates," "Professors Get High Marks (#1)," "Professors Make Themselves Accessible (#16)," "Students Study the Most(#10)," "School Runs Like Butter (#4)," "Town-Gown Relations are Great (#3)," "Easiest Campus to Get Around (#3)," and "Best Quality of Life (#16)." Davidson students once complained of a lack of name recognition among the American public, but recent national media coverage, including articles in the New York Times Education supplement and Time and Newsweek magazines, has heightened Davidson's national profile. Newsweek
named Davidson as one of twenty-five "New Ivies." In 2007, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
ranked Davidson fourth in the list of liberal arts colleges. On 19 March 2007, Davidson became the first liberal arts college in the country to eliminate the need for loans in financial aid packages. All demonstrated need is met through grants and student employment.
The school became co-educational in 1973 and today maintains a 50/50 ratio of men to women. A high percentage of Davidson graduates enter the legal profession, medicine, or government service.
Numerous magazines such as Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report
regard Davidson's admission process as "most selective".
The Davidson College Office of Admission & Financial Aid presents the college as one "dedicated to intellectual and cultural growth in the broadest sense." Davidson prides itself on a student body chosen not only for their academic promise, but also for their character.
"Faculty and admission personnel work together to select students for admission. The selection process is composed of three major elements: 1) the evaluation of academic performance and potential; 2) the assessment of individual characteristics; and 3) the recognition of outstanding interests, achievements, and activities. These three elements are used to gain an understanding of each student's academic and personal strengths and, thus, give an overall evaluation of the individual's eligibility for admission."
Davidson has 167 instructional faculty members, of whom 159 are full-time employees. Almost all faculty members have terminal degrees in their field, with 163 of the 167 faculty members holding a PhD or their field's terminal degree.
Davidson students are bound by a strict honor code, signed by each student at the start of their Freshman year.
The Davidson College Honor Code states: "Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from cheating (including plagiarism). Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from stealing. Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from lying about College business. Every student shall be honor bound to report immediately all violations of the Honor Code of which the student has first-hand knowledge; failure to do so shall be a violation of the Honor Code. Every student found guilty of a violation shall ordinarily be dismissed from the College. Every member of the College community is expected to be familiar with the operation of the Honor Code."
Because of this Honor Code, Davidson students take self scheduled, un-proctored final exams. Many exams (known as "reviews" in Davidson vernacular) are take-home, timed, and closed book. Every assignment submitted at Davidson includes either an implicit or (more often) explicit pledge that the student neither gave nor received assistance on the assignment beyond the bounds of the Honor Code. The subscription of students to this Honor Code extends beyond 'reviews,' essays, or research papers. Notes around campus are commonly seen, whether on a bulletin board or taped to a brick walkway, describing an item found at the location and the finder's contact information so that the property may be recovered.
In February 2002, the Royal Shakespeare Company opened the Duke Family Performance Hall, one of the premier performance spaces in the Southeast. In 2007 and 2008, the Cunningham Fine Arts building, home to several smaller performance spaces, faculty offices, classrooms and set construction facilities, was completely renovated.
Davidson's former President, Tom Ross, has repeatedly credited Davidson's Classics Abroad program with redirecting his life. Begun by Professor George Labban in the 1960s, the program has survived the retirement of Labban and his successor Dirk French. Presently, it is the most popular of the college’s study abroad programs, along with the Semester in India program. Davidson students may also take advantage of the wealth of outside study abroad programs available, applying their Davidson financial aid package to their program of choice.
Davidson's sports teams are known as the Wildcats. Their colors are red and black, although since 2008, many sports including football, men's basketball, and men's soccer have moved towards a brighter hue of red and white. The Wildcats participate as a member of the Southern Conference
in most sports. Sports that compete in other conferences include football
in Division I Football Championship Subdivision Pioneer Football League
, men's and women's swimming and diving in the Colonial Athletic Association
, Field Hockey in the Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference
, and women's lacrosse in the National Lacrosse Conference
.
team first reached considerable success in the 1960s under Coach Lefty Driesell
, when Sports Illustrated
ranked it No. 1 in the country prior to the 1964–65 season.
The Wildcat men have competed in 10 NCAA tournaments (1966, 1968–70, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006–08). Their last tournament victory was in 2008
over Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball
in the third round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. With that victory, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight where they lost to the eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks
59–57, capping off an incredible run that saw the rise of Stephen Curry
to national prominence. The Wildcats' NCAA Tournament run came after finishing their regular season undefeated in conference play, at 20–0, and as the champions of the Southern Conference Tournament
. Curry led the nation in scoring in 2008-09, his last season at Davidson before declaring for the 2009 NBA Draft.
Under the guidance of Coach Bob McKillop
, the Wildcats have consistently posted winning seasons. In 2006–07
, the team completed its regular-season conference schedule with only one loss and entered the Southern Conference Tournament
as a No. 1 seed, where the team would win the Southern Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.
In 2005-06, the Wildcats went 20–10 and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament
after winning the Southern Conference Tournament. In 2004–05, the Wildcats were undefeated in conference play at 16–0 and advanced to the third round of the NIT
. In 2001–02, the Wildcats won the Southern Conference Tournament and lost a close game to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
.
In addition to Driesell and McKillop, a number of notable NCAA men's basketball head coaches have coached at Davidson. Matt Doherty, current head coach at SMU and former head coach of Notre Dame
, North Carolina
and Florida Atlantic
, experienced his first coaching job as an assistant under McKillop, who, not coincidentally, was Doherty's high school coach on Long Island. Former Virginia
head coach and current East Carolina
athletic director
Terry Holland
is a Davidson graduate (Class of 1964) and was Driesell's first recruit at Davidson, before advancing to assistant coaching, head coaching and athletic director duties at Davidson. Larry Brown
, who would go on to win an NCAA championship with Kansas in 1988 and NBA championship with Detroit in 2004, began his nomadic head coaching career at Davidson, managing to depart before the start of his first season. Jim Larranaga
, who took George Mason
to the 2006 Final Four
, is a former Davidson assistant coach. Rick Barnes
of Texas
was also a Davidson assistant.
The peak of the soccer program was in 1992 when the team made a run to the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Final Four. Led by two-time All-American Rob Ukrop, Davidson finished the regular season 17–5–5, earning an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Three electrifying wins — two on penalty kicks and one in sudden death overtime — propelled Davidson into the Final Four, which miraculously was being hosted by Davidson on the school's campus. Davidson lost 3–2 in overtime against San Diego in the semifinal game, but the team received plenty of accolades. Ukrop led the nation with 31 goals and 72 points and was awarded the Adi Dassler Award, given to the nation's best player. Head coach Charlie Slagle was awarded NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for men's soccer. Remarkably, all of this was accomplished without the use of a single athletic scholarship on the 1992 team, leading the New York Times to herald the team as “22 educated feet.”
team is coached by Bob Patnesky. The Wildcats are members of the Southern Conference
. The team was established in 1920 and has won 293 dual meets, lost 601, and tied 18. The Wildcats last winning season came in 2004-2005 under the coaching of T. J. Jaworsky and Patnesky. Davidson has never had an All-America
n wrestler at the NCAA Wrestling Team Championship
and has had just eight Southern Conference
champions.
Davidson offers over 150 student organizations on campus, including arts & culture organizations, performance groups, sports groups, political organizations, health & sexuality groups, religious organizations, and social action groups. The Student Activities Office encourages and is available for students wishing to develop an organization not yet established at Davidson.
Most student events are sponsored by the Union Board, the student organization in charge of the student union. In addition to hosting concerts throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, the Union Board organizes events such as pancake breakfasts at midnight, movies, and Freshmen welcome events.
groups: the Generals, the Delilahs, Androgyny, and the Nuances. The groups are among the most popular musical groups on campus.
The Davidson Generals, an all-male group, took first place in the "Rockin' the Forest" intercollegiate a cappella competition at Wake Forest University
in 2005. Following the release of their third CD, "Alpha-Kappa-Pella" in 2006 they were selected for the Voices Only 2006 collegiate a cappella
compilation CD with their cover of John Legend
's "Used 2 Love U." They released their fourth album, titled "General Consensus," in the Spring of 2008 and their fifth album, "Decorated" in Spring 2010.
The Davidson Delilahs, an all-female group, have produced five albums to date: "Falling into Place" (2001); "Head over Heels" (2004); "Kickin' Off our Heels" (2006); "Davidson Delilahs" (2008); and "Small Town, Big Voices" (2011). The Delilahs also perform regularly throughout the year at events including Parent’s Weekend, Junior Day, Decision and Discover Davidson, Reading Day Eve Concert, Bosom Buddies, and our own Live Thursday concert in addition to an outdoor concert in the Spring.
Davidson Androgyny was founded in 1998 as a response to the absence of a co-ed a cappella group on campus. Androgyny has released two albums, "Everything But The Piano" (2001) and "The A Capocalypse" (2003), and released its most recent album, "A Class Act," in Fall of 2008. The group also sang "I'm Yours" with platinum recording artist Jason Mraz
on his "Music, Magic, and Make Peace Tour" stop at Davidson College on April 19, 2008.
, Kappa Alpha Order
, Phi Gamma Delta
, Connor House, Phi Delta Theta
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, Warner Hall, Kappa Sigma
, Black Student Coalition, Rusk House, and Turner House all currently occupy houses on Patterson Court.
Additionally, Kappa Alpha Psi
, Alpha Phi Alpha
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
, and Delta Sigma Theta
maintain a presence on campus. The NPHC sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first sorority of Davidson College's social community, receiving its charter in the Fall of 2008. The NPHC sorority Delta Sigma Theta is the newest member to Davidson's Patterson Court, having received its charter in the Spring of 2011.
In total, there are nine national fraternities, four local women's eating houses, and two sororities on campus. Approximately 65% of the female students and 38% of male students belong to a fraternity or an eating house.
performed William Shakespeare
's The Merchant of Venice
in residency at Davidson College, the RSC's second residency at a US college or university. The performance inaugurated the Duke Family Performance Hall. In March 2005, the RSC returned to Davidson and was in residency for most of the month, performing The Two Gentlemen of Verona
and Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare
, as well as numerous educational activities, many of which were open to the general public. In February 2006, their artists directed scenes from Shakespeare's plays and other theatric materials inspired by Shakespeare, entitled For Every Passion, Something, with Davidson students as actors. The productions Infinite Variety and For Every Passion Something were presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh
, Scotland
. In February 2007, the Royal Shakespeare Company performed Shakespeare's Pericles
and The Winter's Tale
, as well as Roy Williams
's Days of Significance, in the Duke Family Performance Hall. In 2008, the RSC conducted educational programs, similar to those they presented in 2006. In addition, during this residency, playwright Rona Munro developed a new play, Little Eagles.
In addition to not including loans in their financial aid packages, Davidson recently completed a capital campaign adding 156 new scholarships funded with $88 million. Davidson states that they are committed to providing 100% of demonstrated need of all students, with 44% of students receiving need-based aid and over 50% receiving some form of financial aid.
, the 28th President of the United States
, and current NBA player Stephen Curry
attended Davidson. Neither graduated, though Curry has stated he intends to do so.http://www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/04/davidsons_stephen_curry_will_e.html
In the 1850s, Davidson overcame financial difficulty by instituting "The Scholarship Plan," a program that allowed Davidson hopefuls to purchase a scholarship for $100, which could be redeemed in exchange for full tuition to Davidson until the 1870s. The college's financial situation improved dramatically in 1856 with a $250,000 donation by Maxwell Chambers, making Davidson the wealthiest college south of Princeton. The Chambers Building was built to commemorate this gift. On November 28, 1921, the Chambers Building was destroyed in a fire but was rebuilt 8 years later with funds provided by a generous gift from the Rockefeller family. The Chambers Building continues to be the primary academic building on campus.
In 1923, the Gamma chapter in North Carolina of Phi Beta Kappa was established at Davidson. Over 1500 men and 500 women have been initiated into Davidson's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
In 1924, James Duke formed the Duke Endowment, which has provided millions of dollars to the college, including a $15 million dollar pledge in 2007 to assist with the elimination of student loans.
On May 5, 1972 the trustees voted to allow women to enroll at Davidson as degree students for the first time. (Women had attended classes as early as the 1860s but did not enjoy degree privileges. The first women to attend classes at Davidson were then-President Kirkpatrick's five daughters, who attended classes to increase the size of the student body during the Civil War.) Art major Marianna "Missy" Woodward ‘73, the only woman in a class of 217, was the first woman to graduate from Davidson.
In early 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted in a 31-5 decision to allow 20% of the board to be non-Christian. John Belk, the former mayor of Charlotte
and one of the heirs of Belk Department Store
, was a casualty of this decision, resigning in protest after more than six decades of affiliation with the college. Stephen Smith also resigned. Belk, however, continued his strong relationship with his alma mater and was honored in March 2006 at the Tenth Anniversary Celebration of the Belk Scholarship.
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
in Davidson
Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson is a town in Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 7,139 at the 2000 census. It is home to Davidson College...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News and World Report's latest rankings. In 2011, Davidson was ranked the 5th best liberal arts college in the United States by Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance is a magazine that has been continuously published, on a monthly basis, from 1947 to the present day. It was the nation's first personal finance magazine, and claims to deliver "sound, unbiased advice in clear, concise language"...
.
Both the town and college were named after Brigadier General William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and education:His father moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1750, and William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum in Charlotte.-Military Campaigns:Active...
, a Revolutionary War commander. The land for the college came from General Davidson's estate, a large portion of which was donated by his son. The college was established by Presbyterians in 1837 and maintains a loose affiliation with that denomination. According to its Statement of Purpose, "the ties that bind the college to its Presbyterian heritage . . . have remained close and strong" but the dedication of the college "extends beyond the Christian community to the whole of humanity and necessarily includes openness to and respect for the world’s various religious traditions." Majors are offered in over twenty fields, as are several minors and self-designed interdisciplinary options.
Institution
According to The Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
, Davidson is ranked among the top twenty colleges nationally for the following categories: "Best Overall Academic Experience For Undergraduates," "Professors Get High Marks (#1)," "Professors Make Themselves Accessible (#16)," "Students Study the Most(#10)," "School Runs Like Butter (#4)," "Town-Gown Relations are Great (#3)," "Easiest Campus to Get Around (#3)," and "Best Quality of Life (#16)." Davidson students once complained of a lack of name recognition among the American public, but recent national media coverage, including articles in the New York Times Education supplement and Time and Newsweek magazines, has heightened Davidson's national profile. Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
named Davidson as one of twenty-five "New Ivies." In 2007, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance is a magazine that has been continuously published, on a monthly basis, from 1947 to the present day. It was the nation's first personal finance magazine, and claims to deliver "sound, unbiased advice in clear, concise language"...
ranked Davidson fourth in the list of liberal arts colleges. On 19 March 2007, Davidson became the first liberal arts college in the country to eliminate the need for loans in financial aid packages. All demonstrated need is met through grants and student employment.
The school became co-educational in 1973 and today maintains a 50/50 ratio of men to women. A high percentage of Davidson graduates enter the legal profession, medicine, or government service.
Admissions profile
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
regard Davidson's admission process as "most selective".
The Davidson College Office of Admission & Financial Aid presents the college as one "dedicated to intellectual and cultural growth in the broadest sense." Davidson prides itself on a student body chosen not only for their academic promise, but also for their character.
"Faculty and admission personnel work together to select students for admission. The selection process is composed of three major elements: 1) the evaluation of academic performance and potential; 2) the assessment of individual characteristics; and 3) the recognition of outstanding interests, achievements, and activities. These three elements are used to gain an understanding of each student's academic and personal strengths and, thus, give an overall evaluation of the individual's eligibility for admission."
Faculty
Davidson has a student-faculty ratio of 10-1, 89% of its classes are under 30 students, and no classes have more than 50 students.Davidson has 167 instructional faculty members, of whom 159 are full-time employees. Almost all faculty members have terminal degrees in their field, with 163 of the 167 faculty members holding a PhD or their field's terminal degree.
Honor code
The Davidson College Honor Code states: "Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from cheating (including plagiarism). Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from stealing. Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from lying about College business. Every student shall be honor bound to report immediately all violations of the Honor Code of which the student has first-hand knowledge; failure to do so shall be a violation of the Honor Code. Every student found guilty of a violation shall ordinarily be dismissed from the College. Every member of the College community is expected to be familiar with the operation of the Honor Code."
Because of this Honor Code, Davidson students take self scheduled, un-proctored final exams. Many exams (known as "reviews" in Davidson vernacular) are take-home, timed, and closed book. Every assignment submitted at Davidson includes either an implicit or (more often) explicit pledge that the student neither gave nor received assistance on the assignment beyond the bounds of the Honor Code. The subscription of students to this Honor Code extends beyond 'reviews,' essays, or research papers. Notes around campus are commonly seen, whether on a bulletin board or taped to a brick walkway, describing an item found at the location and the finder's contact information so that the property may be recovered.
Majors and minors
Davidson offers majors in 23 subject areas. Students can also design their own major through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. In addition to the one major required for graduation, students may pursue a second major, a minor, or a concentration. 15 Interdisciplinary concentrations are offered in Archaeology, Applied Mathematics, Asian Studies, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Education, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, Film and Media, Gender Studies, Genomics, International Studies, Medical Humanities and Neuroscience.In February 2002, the Royal Shakespeare Company opened the Duke Family Performance Hall, one of the premier performance spaces in the Southeast. In 2007 and 2008, the Cunningham Fine Arts building, home to several smaller performance spaces, faculty offices, classrooms and set construction facilities, was completely renovated.
Davidson's former President, Tom Ross, has repeatedly credited Davidson's Classics Abroad program with redirecting his life. Begun by Professor George Labban in the 1960s, the program has survived the retirement of Labban and his successor Dirk French. Presently, it is the most popular of the college’s study abroad programs, along with the Semester in India program. Davidson students may also take advantage of the wealth of outside study abroad programs available, applying their Davidson financial aid package to their program of choice.
Athletics
Davidson competes at the NCAA Division I level in 21 sports. Of these sports, 11 are men's and 10 are women's. Approximately 24% of the Davidson on-campus student body participates in varsity sports. Davidson has the second smallest enrollment of any school in Division I football.Davidson's sports teams are known as the Wildcats. Their colors are red and black, although since 2008, many sports including football, men's basketball, and men's soccer have moved towards a brighter hue of red and white. The Wildcats participate as a member of the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
in most sports. Sports that compete in other conferences include football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
in Division I Football Championship Subdivision Pioneer Football League
Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's...
, men's and women's swimming and diving in the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
, Field Hockey in the Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference
Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference
The Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference is an NCAA Division I conference that only sponsors women’s field hockey. It was founded in 1982 and has had varied membership, which at one time included Missouri State and Saint Louis....
, and women's lacrosse in the National Lacrosse Conference
National Lacrosse Conference
The National Lacrosse Conference is a NCAA Division I women's lacrosse-only college athletic conference whose members are located in the primarily in the Southeastern United States, with one team, Detroit-Mercy located in Michigan. The league formed in 2009 and played its first season with four...
.
Football
Bowl Games| Season | Bowl | Winner | Loser | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Tangerine Bowl 1969 Tangerine Bowl The 1969 Tangerine Bowl was held on December 26, 1969 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference defeated the Davidson Wildcats of the Southern Conference by a score of 56–33... |
Toledo Toledo Rockets football The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP... |
56 | Davidson | 33 |
| 1990 | Exhibition Bowl | Davidson | 35 | Baptist | 17 |
| 1994 | Bermuda Bowl | Davidson | 28 | Sewanee | 14 |
Men's basketball
Davidson's basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team first reached considerable success in the 1960s under Coach Lefty Driesell
Lefty Driesell
Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA...
, when Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
ranked it No. 1 in the country prior to the 1964–65 season.
The Wildcat men have competed in 10 NCAA tournaments (1966, 1968–70, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006–08). Their last tournament victory was in 2008
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
over Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball
2007-08 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team
The 2007–08 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team represented University of Wisconsin–Madison. The head coach was Bo Ryan, coaching his seventh season with the Badgers...
in the third round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. With that victory, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight where they lost to the eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks
2007-08 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
The 2007–08 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate basketball season of 2007–2008. The team was led by Bill Self in his fifth season as head coach. The team played its home games in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence,...
59–57, capping off an incredible run that saw the rise of Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry (basketball)
-Freshman season:Before Stephen Curry played even one college game, head coach, Bob McKillop, said at a Davidson Alumni event, "Wait till you see Steph Curry...
to national prominence. The Wildcats' NCAA Tournament run came after finishing their regular season undefeated in conference play, at 20–0, and as the champions of the Southern Conference Tournament
2008 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place between Friday, March 7 and Monday, March 10 in North Charleston, South Carolina at the North Charleston Coliseum. All rounds were available on ESPN 910. The semifinals were televised by SportSouth, and the Southern Conference...
. Curry led the nation in scoring in 2008-09, his last season at Davidson before declaring for the 2009 NBA Draft.
Under the guidance of Coach Bob McKillop
Bob McKillop
Robert "Bob" McKillop is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the Davidson College Wildcats men's basketball team.-Early basketball career:...
, the Wildcats have consistently posted winning seasons. In 2006–07
2006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2006, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2007 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
, the team completed its regular-season conference schedule with only one loss and entered the Southern Conference Tournament
2007 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2007 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place between Wednesday, February 28 and Saturday, March 3 at the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Davidson Wildcats won the championship to secure their 9th trip to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball...
as a No. 1 seed, where the team would win the Southern Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.
In 2005-06, the Wildcats went 20–10 and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
after winning the Southern Conference Tournament. In 2004–05, the Wildcats were undefeated in conference play at 16–0 and advanced to the third round of the NIT
2005 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:...
. In 2001–02, the Wildcats won the Southern Conference Tournament and lost a close game to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
.
In addition to Driesell and McKillop, a number of notable NCAA men's basketball head coaches have coached at Davidson. Matt Doherty, current head coach at SMU and former head coach of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
, North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
and Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball
The Florida Atlantic Owls basketball team represents Florida Atlantic University, a mid-major NCAA Division I college basketball team, that currently competes in the Sun Belt Conference.-Overview and history:...
, experienced his first coaching job as an assistant under McKillop, who, not coincidentally, was Doherty's high school coach on Long Island. Former Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program represents the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA's Division I. The team is coached by Tony Bennett.-Statistics:-Retired numbers:-Retired jerseys:...
head coach and current East Carolina
East Carolina Pirates
The East Carolina Pirates are the intercollegiate sports teams representing East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams sponsored by the university compete in NCAA Division I as a member of Conference USA...
athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
Terry Holland
Terry Holland
Michael Terrence "Terry" Holland is the Athletics Director and Executive Assistant to Chancellor Steve Ballard at East Carolina University...
is a Davidson graduate (Class of 1964) and was Driesell's first recruit at Davidson, before advancing to assistant coaching, head coaching and athletic director duties at Davidson. Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
, who would go on to win an NCAA championship with Kansas in 1988 and NBA championship with Detroit in 2004, began his nomadic head coaching career at Davidson, managing to depart before the start of his first season. Jim Larranaga
Jim Larranaga
James Larranaga is an American college basketball coach and the head coach of the University of Miami men's basketball program. He was most notably the men's basketball coach of George Mason where he coached the Patriots to 13 consecutive winning seasons and became a media sensation during the...
, who took George Mason
George Mason Patriots men's basketball
The George Mason Patriots men's basketball team represents George Mason University and competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of NCAA Division I...
to the 2006 Final Four
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
, is a former Davidson assistant coach. Rick Barnes
Rick Barnes
Richard Dale Barnes is the current head coach of the University of Texas Longhorns men's basketball team. He has coached Texas for the last twelve seasons, taking the team to the NCAA Tournament each year, including a Final Four appearance led by T. J. Ford in 2003...
of Texas
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
was also a Davidson assistant.
Men's soccer
The men's soccer team at Davidson was declared a varsity sport in 1956 and had their first All-American player, Claude Finney, just four years later in 1960.The peak of the soccer program was in 1992 when the team made a run to the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Final Four. Led by two-time All-American Rob Ukrop, Davidson finished the regular season 17–5–5, earning an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Three electrifying wins — two on penalty kicks and one in sudden death overtime — propelled Davidson into the Final Four, which miraculously was being hosted by Davidson on the school's campus. Davidson lost 3–2 in overtime against San Diego in the semifinal game, but the team received plenty of accolades. Ukrop led the nation with 31 goals and 72 points and was awarded the Adi Dassler Award, given to the nation's best player. Head coach Charlie Slagle was awarded NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for men's soccer. Remarkably, all of this was accomplished without the use of a single athletic scholarship on the 1992 team, leading the New York Times to herald the team as “22 educated feet.”
Wrestling
The Wildcats wrestlingCollegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
team is coached by Bob Patnesky. The Wildcats are members of the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
. The team was established in 1920 and has won 293 dual meets, lost 601, and tied 18. The Wildcats last winning season came in 2004-2005 under the coaching of T. J. Jaworsky and Patnesky. Davidson has never had an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n wrestler at the NCAA Wrestling Team Championship
NCAA Wrestling Team Championship
The NCAA Wrestling Team Championship was first officially awarded in 1929 and began to be continuously awarded on an annual basis in 1934 except during World War II 1943-1945. In 1928 and from 1931 to 1933, there was only an unofficial title. Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State, won the 1928, 1931...
and has had just eight Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
champions.
Croquet
Davidson's two-man golf croquet team has won the National Collegiate Croquet Championship back-to-back in 2007 and 2008. It also brought home the national trophy again in 2010.Student organizations
The main student newspaper on campus is the Davidsonian, which is published weekly. The Davidsonian was founded in 1914 and has published a volume every year since then. In 2007, Davidson's Library completed a project to digitally archive all past issues of the Davidsonian.Davidson offers over 150 student organizations on campus, including arts & culture organizations, performance groups, sports groups, political organizations, health & sexuality groups, religious organizations, and social action groups. The Student Activities Office encourages and is available for students wishing to develop an organization not yet established at Davidson.
Most student events are sponsored by the Union Board, the student organization in charge of the student union. In addition to hosting concerts throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, the Union Board organizes events such as pancake breakfasts at midnight, movies, and Freshmen welcome events.
Davidson College a cappella
Davidson is also known for its four a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
groups: the Generals, the Delilahs, Androgyny, and the Nuances. The groups are among the most popular musical groups on campus.
The Davidson Generals, an all-male group, took first place in the "Rockin' the Forest" intercollegiate a cappella competition at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
in 2005. Following the release of their third CD, "Alpha-Kappa-Pella" in 2006 they were selected for the Voices Only 2006 collegiate a cappella
Collegiate a cappella
Collegiate a cappella ensembles are student-run and -directed singing groups that perform entirely without instruments. Such groups can be found at many colleges and universities in the United States, and increasingly worldwide....
compilation CD with their cover of John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
's "Used 2 Love U." They released their fourth album, titled "General Consensus," in the Spring of 2008 and their fifth album, "Decorated" in Spring 2010.
The Davidson Delilahs, an all-female group, have produced five albums to date: "Falling into Place" (2001); "Head over Heels" (2004); "Kickin' Off our Heels" (2006); "Davidson Delilahs" (2008); and "Small Town, Big Voices" (2011). The Delilahs also perform regularly throughout the year at events including Parent’s Weekend, Junior Day, Decision and Discover Davidson, Reading Day Eve Concert, Bosom Buddies, and our own Live Thursday concert in addition to an outdoor concert in the Spring.
Davidson Androgyny was founded in 1998 as a response to the absence of a co-ed a cappella group on campus. Androgyny has released two albums, "Everything But The Piano" (2001) and "The A Capocalypse" (2003), and released its most recent album, "A Class Act," in Fall of 2008. The group also sang "I'm Yours" with platinum recording artist Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
on his "Music, Magic, and Make Peace Tour" stop at Davidson College on April 19, 2008.
Fraternities and eating houses
The fraternity and eating house system at Davidson is known as Patterson Court and is governed by the Patterson Court Council. Sigma Phi EpsilonSigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
, Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
, Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
, Connor House, Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Warner Hall, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Black Student Coalition, Rusk House, and Turner House all currently occupy houses on Patterson Court.
Additionally, Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
, Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
, and Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
maintain a presence on campus. The NPHC sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first sorority of Davidson College's social community, receiving its charter in the Fall of 2008. The NPHC sorority Delta Sigma Theta is the newest member to Davidson's Patterson Court, having received its charter in the Spring of 2011.
In total, there are nine national fraternities, four local women's eating houses, and two sororities on campus. Approximately 65% of the female students and 38% of male students belong to a fraternity or an eating house.
Royal Shakespeare Company Residencies
In 2002, the Royal Shakespeare CompanyRoyal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
performed William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
in residency at Davidson College, the RSC's second residency at a US college or university. The performance inaugurated the Duke Family Performance Hall. In March 2005, the RSC returned to Davidson and was in residency for most of the month, performing The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1590 or 1591. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as his first tentative steps in laying out some of the themes and tropes with which he would later deal in more...
and Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, as well as numerous educational activities, many of which were open to the general public. In February 2006, their artists directed scenes from Shakespeare's plays and other theatric materials inspired by Shakespeare, entitled For Every Passion, Something, with Davidson students as actors. The productions Infinite Variety and For Every Passion Something were presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In February 2007, the Royal Shakespeare Company performed Shakespeare's Pericles
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio...
and The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
, as well as Roy Williams
Roy Williams (playwright)
Roy Samuel Williams, OBE is an award-winning English playwright. Williams has many awards including the George Devine Award for Lift Off, the 2001 Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright for his play Clubland, the 2002 BAFTA Award for Best Schools Drama for Offside and 2004 South Bank...
's Days of Significance, in the Duke Family Performance Hall. In 2008, the RSC conducted educational programs, similar to those they presented in 2006. In addition, during this residency, playwright Rona Munro developed a new play, Little Eagles.
Financial aid
On 19 March 2007, Davidson College announced that all students would have their demonstrated financial need met by grants and student employment; loans would no longer be a component of any Davidson financial aid package. On 7 June 2007, the Duke Endowment pledged $15,000,000 to support the initiative. In March 2008, the initiative was named The Davidson Trust.In addition to not including loans in their financial aid packages, Davidson recently completed a capital campaign adding 156 new scholarships funded with $88 million. Davidson states that they are committed to providing 100% of demonstrated need of all students, with 44% of students receiving need-based aid and over 50% receiving some form of financial aid.
Notable alumni
Davidson has many notable graduates, particularly in politics, athletics, and the arts. Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, the 28th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, and current NBA player Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry (basketball)
-Freshman season:Before Stephen Curry played even one college game, head coach, Bob McKillop, said at a Davidson Alumni event, "Wait till you see Steph Curry...
attended Davidson. Neither graduated, though Curry has stated he intends to do so.http://www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/04/davidsons_stephen_curry_will_e.html
Arts, film, theatre, and broadcasting
- Craig DetweilerCraig DetweilerCraig Detweiler is a U.S. author, filmmaker and cultural commentator resident in Los Angeles, CA, who is employed as an associate professor of Communication at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.-Early life and career:...
, screenwriter, cultural commentator - Bob Faw, NBC national news correspondent
- William R. FerrisWilliam R. FerrisWilliam Reynolds Ferris is an American author and scholar and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities...
, Chairman of the National Endowment for the HumanitiesNational Endowment for the HumanitiesThe National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
, 1997–2001; founding director of the Center for the Study of Southern CultureCenter for the Study of Southern CultureThe Center for the Study of Southern Culture , located in Barnard Observatory on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, Mississippi, is an academic organization dedicated to the investigation, documentation, interpretation and teaching of the Southern United States, including its culture...
at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Joel Williamson Eminent Professor of History, Senior Associate Director of Center for the Study of the American SouthCenter for the Study of the American SouthThe Center for the Study of the American South is an academic organization dedicated to the study of "southern history, literature, and culture as well as ongoing social, political, and economic issues" at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.-History:The CSAS was the brainchild of a...
, Adjunct Professor in the Curriculum in Folklore, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. - John T. FespermanJohn T. FespermanJohn T. Fesperman was an American conductor, organist and author of several books on organs....
, conductor and organist - Herb JacksonHerb JacksonHerb Jackson is an artist and is the William H. Williamson Professor of Art at Davidson College. In 1999 he was awarded the North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor in the state, by Governor Jim Hunt of North Carolina.-Life:...
, contemporary artist - Joseph Robinson, oboistOboistAn oboist is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the cor anglais, oboe d'amore, shawm and oboe musette....
, Principal Oboe of the New York PhilharmonicNew York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
(1978–2005) - JanaJana (Native American singer)Jana Mashonee is a singer, songwriter and actress. She is Lumbee and Tuscarora, originally from Robeson County, North Carolina, currently residing near New York City, in Greenwich, CT...
Sampson, singer - Lester Strong, Boston-area television news anchor; the first African-American in the nation to join the Phi Delta ThetaPhi Delta ThetaPhi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity - Laeta KalogridisLaeta KalogridisLaeta Elizabeth Kalogridis is a screenwriter and an executive producer. She is a graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, NC and University of Texas at Austin and attended UCLA's prestigious film school. She has written scripts for Alexander , Night Watch , Pathfinder and Shutter Island...
, Screenwriter and Hollywood Film Producer; Executive Producer, Avatar, Shutter IslandShutter IslandShutter Island is a best-selling novel by Dennis Lehane, published by Harper Collins in April 2003. A film adaptation was released in February 2010. Lehane has said he sought to write a novel that would be an homage to Gothic settings, B movies, and pulp. He described the novel as a hybrid of the...
, Darksiders, and Ghost in the ShellGhost in the Shell (film)"See You Everyday" is different from the rest of the soundtrack, being a pop song sung in Cantonese by Fang Ka Wing. It can be faintly heard playing in the marketplace scene, when Batou is hunting the ghost-hacked puppet.... - John Howell MorrisonJohn Howell Morrison (composer)John Howell Morrison is a contemporary classical composer and educator. His works have been commissioned and performed by the Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble, Minnesota Contemporary Ensemble, and Galhano/Montgomery Duo, among others. His recording, Hard Weather Makes Good Wood, was released on...
, composer - Athena Stevens - West End playwright and actor. Most recently seen in The Amazing Vancetti Sisters at the Tristan Bates Theatre in London.
Athletics
- Mikio Aoki, Baseball Head Coach of Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
(2006-current), Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1999–2003) - Brian Akin, professional baseball player (2004-current)
- Brett Boretti, Baseball Head Coach of Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(2005-current), Franklin & Marshall (2000–2005) - Stephen CurryStephen Curry (basketball)-Freshman season:Before Stephen Curry played even one college game, head coach, Bob McKillop, said at a Davidson Alumni event, "Wait till you see Steph Curry...
(left school early), NBA Basketball player (2009–present) - Alex GibbsAlex GibbsAlex Gibbs is a retired American football coach. Gibbs was to enter his first season on Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks staff as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line coach in 2010, but announced his unexpected retirement a week before the start of the NFL's 2010 regular season.Gibbs is a...
, Assistant Head Coach / Offense of the Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(2008-2010) - Fred HetzelFred HetzelFred W. Hetzel is a retired American basketball player.-Early life in D.C.:Hetzel initially attended Woodrow Wilson High School in D.C. and played for the Tigers in the 1958 season. He then transferred to Landon School in the Bethesda, MD. suburbs and was a 3 time All Met. As a Soph, he averaged...
, NBA basketball player (1965–71) - Terry HollandTerry HollandMichael Terrence "Terry" Holland is the Athletics Director and Executive Assistant to Chancellor Steve Ballard at East Carolina University...
, Athletics Director of Davidson College (1990–1995), The University of Virginia (1995–2001), East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
(2004-current); Mens Basketball Head Coach of Davidson College (1969–1974), The University of Virginia (1974–1990) - Richard Howell, Assistant Strength Coach of the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
(2000-current) - Peter Hughes, Baseball Head Coach of Virginia Tech (2006-current), Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
(1998–2006), Trinity UniversityTrinity University (Texas)Trinity University is a private, independent, primarily undergraduate, university in San Antonio, Texas. Its campus is located in the Monte Vista Historic District and adjacent to Brackenridge Park....
(1997–1998) - Chris Pollard, Baseball Head Coach of Appalachian State UniversityAppalachian State UniversityAppalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
(2004-current), Pfeiffer UniversityPfeiffer UniversityPfeiffer University is a private university located in the village of Misenheimer near Richfield, North Carolina.- History :Pfeiffer originated from a home school operated by Miss Emily Prudden in the late 19th century...
(2000–2004) - Dick SnyderDick SnyderRichard J. Snyder is an American former National Basketball Association player for the St. Louis Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Snyder attended college at Davidson College, and was drafted by the Hawks in the second round of the 1966 NBA Draft...
, NBA basketball player (1966–1979)
Business
- James BattenJames BattenJames Knox Batten was an American journalist and publisher. He was chief executive officer of Knight-Ridder publishing. A native of Suffolk, Virginia, he studied chemistry and biology at Davidson College and began working as a journalist for the Charlotte Observer in 1957. He joined...
, CEO, Knight-Ridder (1989–1995) - John Belk, head of Belk, IncBelkBelk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
. - John ChidseyJohn ChidseyJohn W. Chidsey is an American businessman, formerly the Executive Chairman and CEO of the Burger King Corporation. He currently serves as a Director and Member of the Audit Committee for HealthSouth Corporation. He previously served as chairman and chief executive officer for two corporate...
, CEO, Burger KingBurger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, Inc. (2006-current) - S. Mark Williams, CEO and founder, Modality, Inc.
- Stephen P. MacMillanStephen P. MacMillanStephen P. MacMillan is the current Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Stryker Corporation.-Compensation:While CEO of Stryker Corporation in 2008, MacMillan earned a total compensation of $2,118,059, which included a base salary of $1,200,000, and a cash bonus of...
, CEO, President, Chairman of the Board, Stryker Corp. - Mackey J. McDonald, former chairman, VF Corporation
- Edward L. Willingham IV, President, First Citizens BankFirst Citizens BancSharesFirst Citizens Bancshares, Incorporated is a bank holding company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. that operates two subisidiaries, First Citizens Bank and IronStone Bank...
- Martin Daniel EakesMartin Daniel EakesMartin Daniel Eakes is an American economic development strategist, and credit union CEO.Eakes grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and graduated from Davidson College, where he majored in physics and philosophy, and holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and an M.P.P...
, CEO, Center for Responsible LendingCenter for Responsible LendingThe Center for Responsible Lending is a nonprofit organization non-partisan research and policy group based in Durham, North Carolina and with offices in Washington DC and Oakland, Calif. Its purpose is to educate the public about financial products and to push for policies that curb predatory...
(2000-current)
Education
- Graham T. AllisonGraham T. AllisonGraham Tillett Allison, Jr. is an American political scientist and professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He is renowned for his contribution in the late 1960s and early 1970s to the bureaucratic analysis of decision making, especially during times of crisis...
, professor at Harvard and author of Essence of DecisionEssence of DecisionEssence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis is an analysis, by political scientist Graham T. Allison, of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Allison used the crisis as a case study for future studies into governmental decision-making. The book became the founding study of the John F...
(did not graduate) - James M. Farr, President of the University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
(1927–1928), English language & literature scholar - Elizabeth KissElizabeth KissElizabeth Kiss is currently serving as the eighth president of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.-Biography:Kiss received her undergraduate degree in 1983 from Davidson College and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where she received her D.Phil in 1990.Prior to joining Agnes Scott,...
, President at Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
(2006-current) - Ignacio Javier López, Professor and ChairChairA chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
of the Department of Romance Languages at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, Editor of the Hispanic ReviewHispanic ReviewHispanic Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal which focuses on research in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian literature and culture. The journal was created in 1933 to replace the French journal Revue Hispanique that had just stopped publication. Since its creation the journal has been edited by...
, essayist and author of several books on Spanish modern culture; attended Davidson College as an international student from SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
during the 1977-1978 academic year. - W. Kendrick Pritchett, Professor Emeritus of Classics at the University of California, Berkeley
- Thomas W. RossThomas W. RossThomas Warren Ross, Sr. is the president of the University of North Carolina system. He succeeded Erskine Bowles on January 1, 2011. Formerly, he was president of Davidson College, a private North Carolina liberal arts college from August 1, 2007 to January 1, 2011.Ross, a native of Greensboro,...
, president of the University of North Carolina system. - Robert Westmoreland, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mississippi
Law
- Kenneth B. BellKenneth B. BellKenneth B. Bell is a former Associate Justice of the Florida Supreme Court.- Education :Bell attended Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina as an undergraduate, and received his Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law in 1982.- Career :Commencing from 1982 and for...
, Justice of the Florida Supreme CourtFlorida Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
(2003–2008) - William EskridgeWilliam EskridgeWilliam N. Eskridge, Jr., is the John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School. He is spending the spring semester of the 2011-12 academic year as a visiting scholar at Georgetown University Law Center, where was a mamber of the law faculty from 1987-98. After earning a B.A. at...
, renowned legal theorist and John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law SchoolYale Law SchoolYale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers... - Vincent Foster, Deputy White House Counsel in the Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
administration (1993) - William J. Haynes, IIWilliam J. Haynes, IIWilliam James "Jim" Haynes II is an American lawyer and former General Counsel of the Department of Defense during President George W. Bush's administration. Haynes resigned as General Counsel effective March 2008...
, General Counsel, U.S. Department of Defense - Steven Neff, Assistant United States Attorney, Eastern District of Tennessee
- Thomas W. RossThomas W. RossThomas Warren Ross, Sr. is the president of the University of North Carolina system. He succeeded Erskine Bowles on January 1, 2011. Formerly, he was president of Davidson College, a private North Carolina liberal arts college from August 1, 2007 to January 1, 2011.Ross, a native of Greensboro,...
, NC State Superior Court Judge (1984–2000)
Medicine
- Ketan Ramanlal Bulsara, Director of Neuroendovascular and Skull Base Surgery, Yale Department of Neurosurgery
- Mark S. GeorgeMark S. GeorgeMark S. George, MD is a professor of psychiatry, radiology and neurosciences and is the director of the Medical University of South Carolina Center for Advanced Imaging Research as well as the Brain Stimulation Laboratory.Dr...
, MD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Radiology and Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC
Military
- Tom Marshburn, NASA astronaut
- Prescott PrincePrescott PrincePrescott Prince is an American lawyer and officer in the United States Navy Reserve.Prince is notable for being assigned to represent Guantanamo captive Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.-Education:Member of Kappa Alpha Order.-Legal career:...
, Navy Captain, rule of law officer, assigned to defend Khalid Sheik Mohammed - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Jack C. StultzJack C. StultzLieutenant General Jack C. Stultz, Jr. is the current Commanding General of the United States Army Reserve.-Biography:Jack Calvin Stultz, Jr. was born in Dillon, South Carolina. He attended Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He...
Commanding General, United States Army Reserve - Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Stephen Dodson RamseurStephen Dodson RamseurStephen Dodson Ramseur was one of the youngest Confederate generals in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded in battle at the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley.-Early life:...
Politics (elected office)
- John Belk, Mayor of Charlotte (1969–1977)
- John M. FaisonJohn M. FaisonJohn Miller Faison was a Representative from North Carolina. He attended Faison Male Academy, and was graduated from Davidson College, North Carolina, in 1883; studied medicine at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville; completed a postgraduate medical course at New York Polyclinic in 1885,...
, United States Congressman representing North Carolina (1911–1915) - Anthony FoxxAnthony FoxxAnthony R. Foxx is an American politician. He is the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. He was first elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005, and was elected mayor on November 3, 2009, winning 51.5% of the vote and defeating his City Council colleague, Republican John Lassiter...
, Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina (2009-) - Jim HodgesJim HodgesJames Hovis "Jim" Hodges is a Democrat who served one term as the 114th Governor of South Carolina from 1999 until 2003.-Early career:...
, Governor of South Carolina (1999–2003) - James HolshouserJames HolshouserJames Eubert Holshouser, Jr. was the 68th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977. He was born in Boone, North Carolina....
, Governor of North Carolina (1973–1977) - James G. MartinJames G. MartinJames Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...
, Governor of North Carolina (1985–1993) - Larry McDonaldLarry McDonaldLawrence Patton McDonald, M.D. was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the seventh congressional district of Georgia as a Democrat...
, United States Congressman representing Georgia (1975–1983); died 1983 when the Soviets shot down Korean Air Flight 007 - George OsborneGeorge OsborneGeorge Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
, ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and Chancellor of the ExchequerChancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; studied at Davidson as a Dean Rusk Scholar - John Spratt, United States Congressman representing South Carolina (1982-2011), former ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Assistant to the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives
- Mary VernerMary VernerMary Verner is the current mayor of Spokane, Washington.- Education :Originally from Fitzgerald, Georgia, Verner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Davidson College, earned her Master of Arts degree in environmental management from Yale University, and a law degree from...
, Mayor of Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, WashingtonSpokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
(2007-current) - Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and President of Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(did not graduate)
Public and Private service
- Kenneth L. BrownKenneth L. BrownKenneth Lee Brown was a US ambassador. In 2001 he became President of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training.-References:...
, US Ambassador to Ghana (1992–1995) - Jeffery S. Blanton, Supervisory Special Agent - Director's Office, FBI
- Vincent W. Foster, Jr.Vince FosterVincent Walker Foster, Jr. was a Deputy White House Counsel during the first few months of President Bill Clinton's administration, and also a law partner and friend of Hillary Rodham Clinton...
, Deputy White House Counsel (1993) - Wyche Fowler, Jr., United States Senator and Representative from Georgia (1977–1993); US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1996–2001)
- David H. GambrellDavid H. GambrellDavid Henry Gambrell is a Georgia attorney who represented his state in the United States Senate from 1971 through 1972.-Education and legal career:Gambrell was born in Atlanta, GA, on December 20, 1929....
, United States Senator representing Georgia (1971–1972) (appointed) - Leonidas L. PolkLeonidas L. PolkLeonidas Lafayette Polk , or L.L. Polk, was an American farmer, journalist and political figure.He was born in Anson County, North Carolina. L.L...
, American agrarian leader - Dean RuskDean RuskDavid Dean Rusk was the United States Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Rusk is the second-longest serving U.S...
, United States Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
(1961–1969) - Joseph A. Smith, Jr., North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, 2002-
- Tony SnowTony SnowRobert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and...
, White House Press SecretaryWhite House Press SecretaryThe White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
(2006–2007), syndicated talk radioTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host and pundit featured on the Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation... - Anne Stanback, Executive Director, Love Makes a Family; Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame inductee
- Robert F. Vagt, President, The Heinz Endowments
Religion
- Paul B. FreelandPaul B. FreelandPaul Butterfield Freeland was a Presbyterian minister, historian, philanthropist, and genealogist from Crowley, the seat of Acadia Parish in south Louisiana, United States....
, Presbyterian minister from Louisiana, genealogist, historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes... - Marvin M. Ellison, Presbyterian minister, Christian Theologian, and gay rights activist.
- Holmes Rolston IIIHolmes Rolston IIIHolmes Rolston III is University Distinguished Professor of philosophy at Colorado State University. He is best known for his contributions to environmental ethics and science and religion. Among other honors, Rolston won the 2003 Templeton Prize, awarded by Prince Philip in Buckingham Palace...
, University Distinguished Professor of philosophy at Colorado State University. Theologian, Philosopher. Best known for his contributions to environmental ethics and science and religion. 2003 Templeton Prize. Gifford Lectures, University of Edinburgh, 1997-1998.
Writers, journalists, & publishers
- Vereen BellVereen BellVereen Bell was an American novelist and naval officer, who was killed on active duty during World War II.-Early life:Born in Cairo, Georgia, he graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina in 1932.-Career:...
, journalist and author - Martin ClarkMartin Clark (author)Martin Fillmore Clark, Jr. is an author and Virginia circuit court judge.Clark's first book, The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2000 and was a New York Times Notable Book for 2000, a Book-of-the-Month Club selection and a finalist for The Stephen Crane...
, author - Patricia CornwellPatricia CornwellPatricia Cornwell is a contemporary American crime writer. She is widely known for writing a popular series of novels featuring the heroine Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a medical examiner.-Early life:...
, author - William EmersonWilliam Emerson (journalist)William Austin "Bill" Emerson Jr. was an American journalist who covered the civil rights era as Newsweek's first bureau chief assigned to cover the Southern United States and was later editor in chief of The Saturday Evening Post.-Early life and education:Emerson was born on February 28, 1923 in...
(1923–2009), journalist who covered the civil rights era as Newsweek's first bureau chief assigned to cover the Southern United States and was later editor in chief of The Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
; Emerson left Davidson after two years to serve in the U.S. Army During World War II. - McKendree LongMcKendree LongMcKendree Long was an American minister and painter.Educated at Horner Military Academy in Oxford and at Davidson College, he went on to attend classes at the Art Students League in New York. Upon winning a scholarship for study in Europe, he travelled there, learning an academic style of portrait...
, artist, preacher, poet, gained recent national notoriety as "picture painter of the apocalypse" - Jason McManusJason McManusJason Donald McManus is an American journalist who served as Editor-in-Chief of Time Inc. from 1988 to 1994.-Life and career:McManus, a 1956 graduate of Davidson College, became a Rhodes Scholar in 1958 after receiving a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University. He began working...
, Editor-in-Chief of Time Inc. from 1988 to 1994. - Brooke Parkhurst, author, food writer.
- Sheri ReynoldsSheri ReynoldsSheri Reynolds is an author of contemporary Southern fiction.She was born and raised in rural South Carolina and lives on Virginia's eastern shore...
, author, playwright - Anne Stringfield, former arts editor of The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
- Dabney Stuart, author, poet, GuggenheimGuggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
Fellow, Professor of English emeritus at Washington and Lee UniversityWashington and Lee UniversityWashington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of... - William StyronWilliam StyronWilliam Clark Styron, Jr. was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work.For much of his career, Styron was best known for his novels, which included...
, author; attended in 1942, dropped out to join the Marines - Charles WrightCharles Wright (poet)Charles Wright is an American poet whose awards include the National Book Award Charles Wright (born August 25, 1935) is an American poet whose awards include the National Book Award Charles Wright (born August 25, 1935) is an American poet whose awards include the National Book Award (19830 for...
, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize for PoetryThe Pulitzer Prize in Poetry has been presented since 1922 for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author. However, special citations for poetry were presented in 1918 and 1919.-Winners:...
-winning poet, chancellor of The Academy of American Poets, winner of the Library of Congress' lifetime achievement Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry award
History
Davidson College was founded in 1837 by The Concord Presbytery after purchasing 469 acres (1.9 km²) of land from William Lee Davidson II. The first students graduated from Davidson in 1840 and received diplomas with the newly created college seal designed by Peter Stuart Ney, who is believed by some to be Napoleon's Marshal Ney.In the 1850s, Davidson overcame financial difficulty by instituting "The Scholarship Plan," a program that allowed Davidson hopefuls to purchase a scholarship for $100, which could be redeemed in exchange for full tuition to Davidson until the 1870s. The college's financial situation improved dramatically in 1856 with a $250,000 donation by Maxwell Chambers, making Davidson the wealthiest college south of Princeton. The Chambers Building was built to commemorate this gift. On November 28, 1921, the Chambers Building was destroyed in a fire but was rebuilt 8 years later with funds provided by a generous gift from the Rockefeller family. The Chambers Building continues to be the primary academic building on campus.
In 1923, the Gamma chapter in North Carolina of Phi Beta Kappa was established at Davidson. Over 1500 men and 500 women have been initiated into Davidson's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
In 1924, James Duke formed the Duke Endowment, which has provided millions of dollars to the college, including a $15 million dollar pledge in 2007 to assist with the elimination of student loans.
On May 5, 1972 the trustees voted to allow women to enroll at Davidson as degree students for the first time. (Women had attended classes as early as the 1860s but did not enjoy degree privileges. The first women to attend classes at Davidson were then-President Kirkpatrick's five daughters, who attended classes to increase the size of the student body during the Civil War.) Art major Marianna "Missy" Woodward ‘73, the only woman in a class of 217, was the first woman to graduate from Davidson.
In early 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted in a 31-5 decision to allow 20% of the board to be non-Christian. John Belk, the former mayor of Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
and one of the heirs of Belk Department Store
Belk
Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
, was a casualty of this decision, resigning in protest after more than six decades of affiliation with the college. Stephen Smith also resigned. Belk, however, continued his strong relationship with his alma mater and was honored in March 2006 at the Tenth Anniversary Celebration of the Belk Scholarship.
Presidents
- Robert Hall Morrison (1837–1841) - father of Mary Anna Morrison Jackson (Mrs. Thomas Johnathan)
- Samuel Williamson (1841–1855)
- Drury Lacy (1855–1860)
- John Lycan Kirkpatrick (1860–1866)
- George Wilson McPhail (1866–1871)
- John Rennie Blake (1871–1877) - served as Chief Administrative Official for 6 years after President McPhail died in 1871, during which period there was no official president of the college
- Andrew Dousa HepburnAndrew Dousa HepburnAndrew Dousa Hepburn was a Presbyterian pastor, professor and President of Miami University and Davidson College.Hepburn was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania to Samuel Hepburn, a lawyer and judge and Rebecca Williamson...
(1877–1885) - Luthar McKinnon (1885–1888) - The first alumnus to serve as president
- John Bunyon Shearer (1888–1901)
- Henry Louis Smith (1901–1912) - Henry Smith and his students at Davidson are credited with producing one of the first (if not the first) X-ray photographs in the United States on January 12 and 13 1896
- William Joseph Martin, Jr. (1912–1929)
- Walter Lee Lingle (1929–1941)
- John Rood Cunningham (1941–1958)
- David Grier Martin (1958–1968)
- Samuel Reid Spencer, Jr. (1968–1984)
- John Wells Kuykendall (1984–1997)
- Robert Fredrick Vagt (1997–2007)
- Thomas W. RossThomas W. RossThomas Warren Ross, Sr. is the president of the University of North Carolina system. He succeeded Erskine Bowles on January 1, 2011. Formerly, he was president of Davidson College, a private North Carolina liberal arts college from August 1, 2007 to January 1, 2011.Ross, a native of Greensboro,...
(2007–2010) - John Wells Kuykendall (interim; 2010-2011)
- Carol E. Quillen (2011- present)
See also
- Davidson College ArboretumDavidson College ArboretumDavidson College Arboretum is an arboretum located across the main campus of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina. It is open to the public daily without charge....
- Knox dormitoryKnox dormitoryKnox dormitory is a student dormitory located on the north side of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina. The building was constructed in 1980 and includes 24 double rooms and 6 single rooms on 2 floors. The first floor includes a student lounge...