What are different named professorships on campus and who has been awarded them?
Listed below are named professorships, along with their descriptions and names of those who have been awarded them. This is an ongoing list, so for corrections and additions, please email archives@davidson.edu.
ALUMNI PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1920 as a professorship in English.
Person
Edwin Francis Shewmake, 1919-1954
EDWARD M. ARMFIELD
Description
Established in 2006 to honor the memory of Edward M. Armfield Sr. ’37, recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award and inductee in the athletic Hall of Fame. Armfield served as a member of the Board of Visitors, and a volunteer with the Alumni Association and Annual Fund. Established by his wife, Adair Phifer Armfield, and the foundation which bears his name, the Edward M. Armfield, Sr. Professorship recognizes excellence in teaching and scholarship.
Person
Brenda A. Flannagan, 2006
MARY REYNOLDS BABCOCK PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1960 by a gift from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, in honor of Mary Reynolds Babcock, the sister of Z. Smith Reynolds.
Person
- John Alexander McGeachy, Jr., 1961-1978
- Malcolm Overstreet Partin, 1993-2004
- Sally G. McMillen, 2004-2016
- Jane Mangan, 2016-
JAMES KNOX BATTEN VISITING PROFESSORSHIP IN PUBLIC POLICY
Description
Created 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.
Person
- Tom Wicker, 1997
- Georges, Nzongola-Ntalaja, 1999
- Ferrel Guillory, 2000
- Shana Alexander, 2001
- Steven Isenberg, 2001
- Anne deLattre, 2002
- James Zogby, 2003
- Tim J. McGuire, 2004
- Chuck Hauser, 2005
- Jennie Buckner, 2006
- Larry Jenks, 2006
- Ulrich Speck, 2007
- Fannie Flono, 2008
- Edwin Williams, 2010
- Scott Bosley, 2010
- John R. Alexander, 2011
- Paul-Henri Gurian, 2012
- David Boraks, 2013
- Rick Thames, 2014
BROWN PROFESSORSHIP IN ASIAN STUDIES
Description
Established by The Brown Foundation of Houston, Texas, in 1989 to expand the teaching of Asian studies at Davidson.
Person
Shelly Rigger, 1992-2005
HERMAN BROWN PROFESSORSHIP IN NATURAL SCIENCES
Description
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.
Person
- John. H. Williamson, 1983-2002
- Wolfgang Christian, 2002-2016
- Malcolm Campbell, 2016-
JAMES W. CANNON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- Mark Edgar Sentelle, 1920-1949
- Lewis Bevens Schenck, 1949-1970 (emeritus after 1967)
- Daniel D. Rhodes, 1967-1977
- Max E. Polley, 1981-1994
- Karl Andrews Plank, 1996-2005
MAXWELL CHAMBERS PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- W.C. Kerr, 1856-1861
- J.R. Blake, M.A., 1869-1870
- William J. Martin, 1870-1896
- William J. Martin, Jr., 1896-1912
- Howard Bell Arbuckle, 1912-1945
- J. Nicholas Burnett, 1981-1998
JOEL O. CONARROE PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- Mary S. Vasquez, 2005-2016
- C. Shaw Smith, 2016-
HOWARD W. COVINGTON VISITING PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1982 by Howard W. Covington, Class of 1937, this professorship brings exciting teachers to campus as visiting professors.
Person
- Samuel Shepherd Jones, 1982-1983
- Ludwing Richard Max Dewitz, 1983-1985
- Lyman L. Johnson, 1990-1994
- Ronald G. Paris, 1987-1990
- Yvette Clifton, Xxxx
- Stone Bynum, Xxxx
JOHN CROSLAND PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1995 by John Crosland, Class of 1951, and his wife Judith E. Crosland.
CHARLES A. DANA PROFESSORSHIPS
Description
The Dana Professorships were established in 1966 through a challenge campaign initiated by the late philanthropist and industrial pioneer, Charles A. Dana.
Person
- Charles E. Ratcliff, Jr., 1967-1977
- William G. McGavock, 1976
- J. Harris Proctor, 1969-1992 (Emeritus 1992- )
- William L. Abernathy, 1974-1976
- Donald Plott, 1976-1891
- Malcolm Lester, 1977-1990
- Daniel D. Rhodes, 1977-1981
- Earl MacCormac, 1981-1987
- Locke White, Jr., 1983
- John D. Kelton, 1983-1998 (Eremitus, 1998- )
- T.C. Zimmerman, 1993-2000
- Anthony Abbott, 1990-1996
- Pamela C. Hay (Dana Faculty Fellow), 1990--1993
- Ralph B. Levering (Dana Faculty Fellow), 1990-1993
- David A Long (Dana Faculty Fellow), 1990-1993
- Luis H. Pena (Dana Faculty Fellow), 1990-1993
- Grant D. Jones, 1994-2004 (Emeritus 2004- )
- Benjamin G. Klein, 1991-1993
- Robert J. Manning, 1992-2006 (Emeritus, 2006- )
- Lance K. Stell, 2005-
- Cynthia Lewis, 2000-
- Louis L. Ortmayer, 2004-2005
- Verna Case, 2007-
- William K. Mahony, 2009-
- Scott D. Denham, 2009-
R. STUART DICKSON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1994 by the Dickson Foundation and the Ruddick Corporation to honor longtime Davidson trustee R. Stuart Dickson, Class of 1951.
Person
Julio Ramirez, 1997-2005
ERNEST G. AND GAIL M. DOE PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1998 by Ernest G. Doe, Class of 1969, and his wife Gail to recognize a faculty member of the department of economics who excels in undergraduate teaching, has a record of superior professional achievement, and exemplifies the moral and intellectual values of Davidson College.
Person
Peter Hess, 1998-2003
BEVERLY F. DOLAN PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- Benjamin G. Klein, 1993-2005
- Verna M. Case, 2009-
JAMES B. DUKE PROFESSORSHIP OF PHYSICS
Description
Established in 1926 by the college trustees, the professorship initially applied to all physics professors
Person
- James Douglas, 1926-1951
- Henry Emmet Fulcher, 1927-1970
- John Issac Hopkins, 1961-1979
PAUL B. FREELAND PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Created in 1981 through a bequest from Dr. Paul B. Freeland, Class of 1925, a minister from Crowley, Louisiana.
Person
- Daniel D. Rhodes, 1981-1985
- Alexander J. McKelway, 1992-1999
- John Ferguson Heil, 2001-2002
W. R. GREY PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- Ernest A. Beaty, 1960-1968
- George Labban, 1968-1985
- Dirk French, 1996-2002
- Peter Krentz, 2002-2005
C.E. GRAHAM PROFESSORSHIP OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY
Description
Established in 1920 by C. E. Graham, of Greenville, South Carolina, as part of a major fund-raising campaign in 1919.
Person
- Frazer Hood, 1921-1928
- Luther Bateman Henderson, 1928-1929
DOUGLAS C. HOUCHENS PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established through the generosity of an anonymous donor to honor Douglas C. Houchens, Davidson College Professor of Art from 1953-1978.
Person
Herb Jackson, 2003-2005
Alan Michael Parker, 2012-
VIRGINIA LASATER IRVIN PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Created 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.
Person
- William Patterson Cumming, 1961-1970
- Richard C. Cole, 1983-1994
- Randy Franklin Nelson, 1994-2005
FRONTIS W. JOHNSTON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- David E. Shi, 1986-1993
- Clark Grant Ross, 1993-2005
FRANCIS B. KEMP VISITING PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
Arturo Lindsay, 2005-
WILLIAM R. KENAN JR. PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Created in 1968 and later augmented by the William R. Kenan Foundation.
Person
- Frontis Withers Johnston, 1969-1977
- Charles Ratcliff, 1977-1998
- Gail McMurray Gibson, 1994-2005
- John Wertheimer, 2015-
JOHN T. KIMBROUGH PROFESSORSHIP OF MATHEMATICS
Description
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.
Person
John Swallow, 1998-2005
L. RICHARDSON KING PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established by the Kimbrough and King families in honor of L. Richardson King, Class of 1959, and Richardson Professor of Mathematics from 1964-2002.
Person
- Laurie Heyer, 2004
- Gerardo Marti, 2009
- Jessica J. Good, 2013
MAC ARTHUR FOUNDATION PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- William K. Mahony, 1982-1983
- Gail McMurray Gibson, 1983-1987
- Julio J. Ramirez, 1987-1988
- William M. Ringle, 1987-1988
- Zoran Kuzmanovich, 1988-1990
- Sally G. McMillen, 1990
- Jonathan P. Berkley, 1994-1996
- Durwin R. Striplin, 1998-2000
- John Nicholas Yukich, 2000-2002
- Russell Crandall, 2002-2004
- Karen Hales, 2003-2005
- Fred Smith, 2005-2007
- Scott Tonidandel, 2007-2009
NANCY AND ERWIN MADDREY PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1993 by Davidson trustee E. Erwin Maddrey III, Class of 1963, and his wife Nancy Burgess Maddrey.
Person
- Ruth Louise Ault, 1999-2005
- Michael Dorcas, 2015-
JAMES GRUBS MARTIN JR. PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- Merlyn D. Schuh, 1992-2005
- W. Rodger Nutt, 2009-2014
- Erland Stevens, 2015-
JOHN AND RUTH MCGEE PROFESSORSHIP AND DEAN RUSK DIRECTORSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Description
Established by the John F. and Ruth B. McGee Foundation of Charleston, West Virginia, to endow this joint faculty administrative position.
Person
Chris Alexander, 2002-
JOHN F. MCGEE VISITING PROFESSORSHIP IN CREATIVE WRITING
Description
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.
Person
- Peter Meinke, 1989-1990
- Wayne Fields, 1990-1991
- Gail Galloway Adams, 1991-1992
- Gary Gildner, 1992-1993
- Elizabeth Benedict, 1993-1995
- Stephen Sandy, 1994-1995
- Karen Jones Meadows, 1995
- Maxine Kumin, 1997
- Jill Ciment, 2000
- Maria Irene Fornes, 2001
- Al Young, 2003
- Susan Allport, 2004
- Douglas Glover, 2005
- Diana Hume George, 2006
JAMES ESTES MILLNER PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1997 through a major bequest of J. Estes Millner, Class of 1926, to support teaching in the department of music.
Person
William David Lawing, 1999
JOSEPH R. MORTON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1990 by Joseph R. Morton, Class of 1920, to support teaching in the departments of chemistry, physics, or mathematics.
Person
Felix Alvin Carroll, 1993-2005
MALCOLM OVERSTREET PARTIN PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- Jane Mangan, 2007-2011
- Rebecca Joubin, 2011-2015
- Joseph Ewoodzie, 2015-
RICHARD J. REYNOLDS PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1922 by Mrs. R. J. Reynolds, who became Mrs. J. Edward Johnston after her 1921 marriage to a Davidson College graduate of 1914, as a memorial to her first husband.
Person
- Harding Hunt (temporary head of Bio. Dept.), 1920-1921
- William Lorimer Porter, 1922-1924
- Scott Cary Lyon, 1927-1942
- William Olin Puckett, 1949-1971
RICHARDSON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1962 in response to a challenge grant from the H. Smith Richardson Foundation.
Person
- James G. Martin, 1967(spring)-1972
- Richard R. Bernard, 1978
- Donald B. Plott, 1967(fall)-1982
- George L. Abernathy, 1973
- William G. Workman, 1977
- Joe Otis Embry, 1975
- John D. Kelton, 1981
- R. Bruce Jackson
- J. B. Stroud, 1985-1998
- L. Richardson King, 2003
- Laurence S. Cain, 2008
HOLMES ROLSTON III PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
Andrew Lustig, 2005
JAMES SPRUNT PROFESSORSHIP OF BIBLE AND PHILOSOPHY
Description
Established in 1925 by a bequest from this remarkable and erudite North Carolina businessman.
Person
- Kenneth J. Foreman, 1925-1947
- Charles Eberhardt, 1954-1957
- Samuel D. Maloney, 1981-1994
- Robert David Kaylor, 1994-1998
- Lauren Wayne Yoder, 1999-2005
- Peter Ahrensdorf, 2011-
SAMUEL E. AND MARY WEST THATCHER PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established by a bequest from Mary Thatcher and by gifts from John Thatcher, Class of 1948.
Person
- Rosemarie Tong, 1989-2000
- John W. Kuykendall, 2000-2005
- Ann Marie Costa, 2015-
TODD AND MELISSA THOMSON PROFESSORSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Description
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.
Person
Annie Ingram, 2009-
CATHERINE TROY PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1855 in honor of Catherine Troy, the wife of Maxwell Chambers.
Person
- Rev. Adam Gilchrist (but did not serve), 1855-1860
- Victor C. Barringer, 1860-1865
- Rev. Stephen Frontis Rev. J. Monroe Anderson, 1868-1874
VAIL PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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
Person
- Richard R. Bernard, 1977-1984
- Robert Bruce Jackson, 1985-1995
- Alfred Remen Mele, 1995-2000
- Robert C. Williams, 2000-2005
- Ralph B. Levering, 2006-2014
- Tracey Hucks, 2014-
E. CRAIG WALL, JR. DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIP IN THE HUMANITIES
Description
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.
Person
- Bob Manning, 1995
- Peter Krentz, 1999-2000
- Brain Shaw, 1998-2003
- Jonathan P. Berkley, 2002-2004
- C. Shaw Smith, 2003-2005
- Neil Lerner, 2015-
WAYNE M. AND CAROLYN A. WATSON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1991 through gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Wayne M. Watson, parents of Bryna Watson, Class of 1982.
Person
- Edward L. Palmer, 1991-2005
- Scott Tonidandel, 2013-
WILLIAM H. WILLIAMSON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Created in 1926 through a trust fund left by William Holt Williamson, Class of 1886.
Person
- Ernest James Cullum, 1928-1931
- W. Herbert Jackson, 1985-2005
- Magdalena Maiz-Peña, 2009-
WOODROW WILSON CHAIR OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established in 1920 with a gift from the Presbyterian Church of Gastonia.
Person
Archibald Currie, 1920-1942
Lester D. Coltrane III Visiting Professor of Religion
Description
The Coltrane professorship was established in 2006 by the Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust Number 3 to recognize the longtime and diligent servive to its board of Lester D. Coltrane III, Davidson College class of 1940. The professorship is in support of the college's Program for the Theological Exploration of Vocation.
Person
Douglas F. Ottati, 2007
Craig Distinguished Professorship in Reformed Theology and Justice Ministry
Description
Dr. David E. Craig ’61, his spouse Virginia, and their family created the Craig Distinguished Professorship recently 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 David and Virginia’s children who attended Davidson: the Reverend Caroline Evelyn Craig ‘88, and Carlton Scott Craig ‘93, and his wife Carol Hancock Craig ‘92.
Person
Douglas F. Ottati, 2007-
MacArthur Professorship
Description
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.
Person
- Russell Crandall, 2001-2003
- Karen Hales, 2003-2005
- Fred Smith, 2005-2007
- Samuel Sánchez-Sánchez, 2009-2011
- Maria Fackler, 2011-2013
- Andrew J. O'Green, 2013-
JAMES B. DUKE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROFESSORSHIP
Description
Established by gifts from The Duke Endowment, in response to the inauguration of the Dean Rusk Program in International Studies.
Person
- Dennis R. Appleyard, 1989-2005
- Jonathan Berkey, 2011-
JOHN T. KIMBROUGH PROFESSORSHIP OF MATHEMATICS
Description
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.
Person
Laurie Heyer, 2014-
C. LOUIS NELSON PROFESSORSHIP
Description
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.
Person
- Cole Barton, 2009-2016
- Ken Menkhaus, 2016-