WS Chronicle

In above photo: Lenwood Davis

Special to The Chronicle

Dr. Lenwood G. Davis, a retired professor of history at Winston-Salem State University, recently received Professor Emeritus status.  Professor Emeritus is given to retired professors who performed distinguished service to the university. 

Emeritus status entitles one to a university ID card, the same access to electronic resources as the active faculty, a university e-mail account, use of the library facilities and library electronic resources under the same conditions as the active faculty, a free parking permit for the shuttle lot, receipt of the university and alumni publications that are sent to active faculty, the same rights to campus facilities as the active faculty, the opportunity to purchase tickets to university athletic, cultural, and entertainment events at faculty rates, invitation to general faculty events, listing in university catalogs and the campus directory, and continuance of eligibility to march in formal convocations, wearing appropriate regalia.

While working at WSSU, Davis was the first African-American male to receive the Wachovia Excellence in Teaching Award.  He was chairman of the Faculty Senate and head faculty marshal. He served on several departmental committees, such as Founder’s Day, Search Committee for deans and faculty, Athletics, Awards Day, Parking, Promotion and tenure. He also served on the Investiture Committee for Chancellors:  Alvin J. Schexnider, Harold L. Martin, Jr. and Donald J. Reaves.

Dr. Davis was on the Editorial Board of “Winston-Salem State University Faculty Journal” and associate editor of “Winston-Salem State University Social Science Journal.”  He is the author of “Winston-Salem State University (A Pictorial History)” with co-author Carter Cue, and “Simon Green Atkins and The John E. Slater Fund.”  He has published six articles on Simon Green Atkins, the Founder of Winston-Salem State University.

Davis states, “Over the past several years, few retired faculty members have been awarded Professor Emeritus and I am grateful to have received such status because it is a symbol of WSSU’s acknowledgement of my many years of distinguished service to the university. Of all the departments on campus, the Social Science Department was the most liberal in working with the faculty in scheduling their classes and giving the faculty members time to research and write.  For that I am grateful.”

Davis is the author of 30 books and can be found in 50 states and over 50 foreign countries (China, India, Russia, Ku Wait, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, England, Kenya, France, Spain, Egypt, Mexico, etc.) and translated in several foreign languages. He has written more than 150 articles, essays, bibliographies, and book reviews. Davis is currently working on several books, such as, “The World’s Orator:  Selected Writings and Speeches of Joseph Charles Price, Founder of Livingstone College,” and “Four Early Grand Masters of Prince Hall Masons in North Carolina,”  which is being written with the assistance of Benjamin H. Piggot.  Davis is a recipient of The Chronicle’s Life Time Achievement Award and an award-winning author.