Oct 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Catalog

Named Professorships


Edward M. Armfield, Sr. Professorship - This professorship honors the memory of one of Davidson’s most loyal alumni, Edward M. Armfield, Sr., Class of 1937, who served his alma mater as a member of the Board of Visitors, was an Alumni Association and Annual Fund volunteer, an inductee in the Athletic Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Established by the foundation which bears his name, the Edward M. Armfield, Sr. Professorship recognizes excellence in teaching and scholarship, with a preference for a member of the Department of English.

Mary Reynolds Babcock Professorship - Established in 1960 by a gift from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, in honor of Mary Reynolds Babcock, the sister of Z. Smith Reynolds.

Bacca Professorship in Humanities - Established by the Bacca Foundation, this professorship is for a professor of the Humanities and is to be awarded on a three-year rotation to an existing or new faculty member with an academic focus on and demonstrated study in transdisciplinary work across the humanities, which may include language, literary, and cultural studies disciplines (e.g. Languages, Literature, Religious Studies, Philosophy, History, the Arts, Art History). The holder will have demonstrated excellence in teaching and engagement to multiple approaches to pedagogy (e.g. team-teaching, study trips). The holder will be expected to teach in the first-year Humanities Program and will champion the program.

James Knox Batten Visiting Professorship in Public Policy - Established in 1995 by grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Knight-Ridder, Inc. in memory of James K. Batten, Class of 1957. The Batten Professorship is an interdisciplinary position held by a series of individuals with experience and expertise in such diverse realms as politics, economics, urban affairs, journalism and the sciences.

Boone Assistant Professorship - Established by the Dan and Merrie Boone Foundation, this professorship provides support for Dr. Jaya Jha, assistant professor of Economics, to explore and execute campus-wide engagement opportunities that facilitate education and discussion around comparative economic systems

Brown Professorship in Asian Studies - Established by the Brown Foundation of Houston, Texas in 1989 to expand the teaching of Asian studies at Davidson.

Herman Brown Professorship in Natural Sciences - Established in 1983 by gifts from The Brown Foundation of Houston, Texas, and other friends of Davidson, the Herman Brown Professorship is named for the late chief executive officer of Brown and Root.

James W. Cannon Professorship - Established in 1919 by gifts from the children of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Cannon of Concord, North Carolina, with subsequent support from a trust established by their son, Charles A. Cannon, Class of 1915.

Maxwell Chambers Professorship - Established in 1855 under a special provision of the will of Davidson’s principal 19th-century benefactor, Maxwell Chambers of Salisbury, North Carolina, this professorship enabled Davidson to inaugurate the teaching of chemistry.

Lester D. Coltrane III Pre-Tenure Professorship - Established by the Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust No. Three to recognize the longtime and diligent service to its board by Lester D. “Bub” Coltrane III, Davidson College Class of 1940, this professorship is in support of a pre-tenure professor in any discipline.

Joel O. Conarroe Professorship - Established through the generosity of an anonymous donor, this professorship honors Joel O. Conarroe, Class of 1956 and President Emeritus of the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Covington Visiting Professorship - Established in 1982 by Howard W. Covington, Class of 1937, this professorship brings exciting teachers to campus as visiting professors.

Craig Family Distinguished Professorship in Reformed Theology and Justice - This distinguished professorship was established by the Craig family in memory of the Reverend David Irvin Craig, Class of 1878, and the Reverend Carl Brackett Craig, Class of 1911, as well as to honor the children of Virginia K. and David E. Craig, Class of 1961, who attended Davidson: The Reverend Caroline Evelyn Craig, Class of 1988, and Carlton Scott Craig, Class of 1993, and his wife, Carol Hancock Craig, Class of 1992. The professorship will be held by a teacher who, by word and deed, encourages and inspires the moral and ethical choices that promote faithful stewardship of the environment and peace among all the world’s people. The holder of this professorship should be one who, by example, can teach and lead students in engaging the challenges that confront society today, with training and expertise in Christian Theology in general, and Reformed Theology, in particular.

Charles A. Dana Professorships - The Dana Professorships were established in 1966 through a challenge campaign initiated by the late philanthropist and industrial pioneer, Charles A. Dana.

Dickson Foundation Professorship - Established by The Dickson Foundation, this professorship allows Davidson to recruit and retain the best junior faculty members.

R. Stuart Dickson Professorship - Established in 1994 by the Dickson Foundation and the Ruddick Corporation to honor longtime Davidson trustee R. Stuart Dickson, Class of 1951.

Beverly F. Dolan Professorship - Established in 1993 by Textron, Inc., to honor the service of its retiring chief executive officer and chairman of the board, Beverly F. Dolan, this professorship is for a member of the mathematics or physical science faculty.

James B. Duke Professorship - Established by gifts from The Duke Endowment, in response to the inauguration of the Dean Rusk Program in International Studies.

James B. Duke Professorships (Full) - Established by The Duke Endowment, these professorships enable Davidson to recruit full professors or to retain key faculty members already at Davidson who are actively pursuing academic endeavors that cross disciplinary boundaries and challenge students to engage with our evolving world in new ways.

James B. Duke Professorships (Pre-tenured) - Established by The Duke Endowment, this professorship allows Davidson to recruit and retain the best junior faculty members who enrich the Diversity of Davidson’s faculty and broaden our academic offerings through joint appointments between two disciplines or directly into transdisciplinary departments.

Franco Professorship in the Humanities - Established by Thomas and Allison Franco, parents of Jules Franco ‘20, this professorship allows Davidson to recruit or retain talented professors who work across disciplines in support of the humanities.

Paul B. Freeland Professorship - Established in 1981 through a bequest from Dr. Paul B. Freeland, Class of 1925, a minister from Crowley, Louisiana.

W. R. Grey Professorship - Established in 1935 by Captain James Parks Grey, Class of 1885, in honor of his brother, W. R. Grey, Class of 1884, a professor at Davidson for forty years.

Douglas C. Houchens Professorship - Established through the generosity of an anonymous donor to honor Douglas C. Houchens, Davidson College Professor of Art from 1953-1978.

Virginia Lasater Irvin Professorship - Established in 1960 by a gift from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to honor Virginia Irvin, wife of George L. Irvin, Class of 1924, and a cousin of R. J. Reynolds, Jr.

Frontis W. Johnston Professorship - Established in 1986 through gifts from Dr. Johnston’s family, colleagues, and friends, this professorship was created to honor the late Frontis Withers Johnston, Class of 1930, who served Davidson for many years as teacher, dean of the faculty, and interim president.

Dr. Albert Keiser, Sr. and Mrs. Lena Virginia Keiser Professorship - Established by Albert Keiser, Class of 1966, in honor of his parents Dr. Albert Keiser, Sr. and Mrs. Lena Virginia Keiser, this professorship allows Davidson to recruit and retain talented the best junior faculty members.

Francis B. Kemp Visiting Professorship - Established by Bank of America in memory of Francis B. Kemp, Class of 1963, this professorship supports a visiting faculty member distinguished in his or her field.

William R. Kenan, Jr. Professorship - Established in 1968 and later augmented by the William R. Kenan Foundation.

John T. Kimbrough Professorship - Established in 1998 by gifts from his children, Lawrence M. Kimbrough, Class of 1963, Mary P. Kimbrough King, John T. Kimbrough, Jr., Class of 1958, and William A. Kimbrough, to honor John T. Kimbrough, Professor of Mathematics at Davidson College from 1928-1974.

L. Richardson King Professorship - Established by the Kimbrough and King families in honor of L. Richardson King, Class of 1959 and Richardson Professor of Mathematics from 1964-2002.

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professorship - Established in 1981 by a gift from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation of Chicago, this rotating professorship helps bring promising young professors to Davidson.

Nancy and Erwin Maddrey Professorship - Established in 1993 by Davidson trustee E. Erwin Maddrey III, Class of 1963, and his wife Nancy Burgess Maddrey.

James G. Martin, Jr. Professorship - Established in 1991 by friends and admirers of the Honorable James G. Martin, Class of 1957, in recognition of his service to the State of North Carolina as governor.

McGee Visiting Professorship in Creative Writing - Established by John F. McGee, Class of 1943, and his wife to bring gifted writers to campus as visiting professors. Josephine Humphreys, Al Young, Susan Allport, Karen Jones-Meadows, Peter Meinke, Sheri Reynolds, and Robert Morgan are among those who have visited Davidson as McGee Professors.

John and Ruth McGee Directorship of the Dean Rusk Program in International Studies - Established by the John F. and Ruth B. McGee Foundation of Charleston, West Virginia, to endow this joint faculty administrative position.

Dr. Hamilton W. McKay Professorship - Established by Katherine McKay Belk and Katherine Belk Morris, this professorship is preferably for a member of the biosciences and human health faculty.

J. Estes Millner Professorship - Established in 1997 through a major bequest of J. Estes Millner, Class of 1926, to support teaching in the Department of Music.

Joseph R. Morton Professorship - Established in 1990 by Joseph R. Morton, Class of 1920, to support teaching in the departments of chemistry, physics, or mathematics.

C. Louise Nelson Professorship - Established by Ross W. Manire, Class of 1974, and his wife Dee to recognize the dedication to teaching demonstrated by this member of the Davidson faculty who served the college from 1964-1988.

Leland M. Park Directorship of the Library - Established by Leland M. Park, Class of 1963 and Director of the Library from 1975-2006, this endowment provides support to those who follow him in this position of vital importance to the life of Davidson College.

Malcolm Overstreet Partin Professorship - Established by William N. Mathis, Class of 1988, to attract to Davidson talented young pre-tenured faculty members who demonstrate a love of classroom teaching, lectures meant to both educate and enthrall, and commitment to instill a lifelong devotion to learning as embodied by this Mary Reynolds Babcock Professor of History from 1968-2002.

Richardson Professorship - Established in 1962 in response to a challenge grant from the H. Smith Richardson Foundation.

Holmes Rolston III Professorship in Religion and Science - Established by Holmes Rolston III, Class of 1953 and recipient of the 2003 Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries About Spiritual Realities, this chair explores in teaching, research, and scholarship the dialogue and interaction between religion and science.

James Sprunt Professorship of Bible and Philosophy - Established in 1925 by a bequest from this remarkable and erudite North Carolina businessman.

Samuel E. and Mary West Thatcher Professorship - Established by a bequest from Mary Thatcher and by gifts from John Thatcher, Class of 1948.

Todd and Melissa Thomson Professorship in Environmental Studies - Established by Todd S. and Melissa McKeithen Thomson, both of the Class of 1983, to attract to Davidson College an individual with a strong record and potential in environmental studies, with an emphasis on public policy.

Vail Professorship - Established by a gift from Foster and Mary McGaw in 1977, in honor of James D. Vail III, Mrs. McGaw’s son, and his family.

Vann Professorship for Racial Justice​ - Established by James M. Vann, Class of 1950, and his wife Lee, and evolving from the Vann Center for Ethics, the Vann Professorship for Ethics in Society is in support of faculty who will prompt and foster ethical inquiry, thoughtful dialogue and moral reflection on issues and situations in the world around us; and the Vann Fund for Ethics in Society ideally supports activities and initiatives led by the Vann Professor and Vann Leadership Team, while promoting student engagement and collaborations. 

E. Craig Wall, Jr. Distinguished Professorship in the Humanities - Established through gifts from family, friends, and business associates of Mr. Wall, Class of 1959, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this chair supports teaching in the humanities program and honors Craig Wall’s service to Davidson as chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Nancy Akers and J. Mason Wallace Professorship - Established through the estate of J. Mason Wallace, Jr., Class of 1942, and his wife Nancy, this professorship allows Davidson to attract talented pre-tenured professors to the college.

Wayne M. and Carolyn A. Watson Professorship - Established in 1991 through gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Wayne M. Watson, parents of Bryna Watson, Class of 1982.

William H.Williamson Professorship - Established in 1926 through a trust fund left by William Holt Williamson, Class of 1886.