Guilford College - Quaker Yearbook (Greensboro, NC)

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James Franklin Davis 0 DEDICATE the second volume of Tlie Qua ker to Professor James ■ I Frankliti Da is (the first liavinj, been dedicated to President Hobbs) is most r fitting. Not only because of the lionor and respect which the Class of 191 .;. feel for him, but also because he is Guilford ' s senior teacher, ha inL: held the position of Professor of Cjreek and German since the foundation of the College. t venty-si- years ago. Indeed, he has physically grown gra in the ser ice of the in- stitution, though there are still no signs of age in his menta: igor or his keen insight into modern thought, modern conditions and modern needs. The ounger life which from time to time is added to the facult) — life fresh from university circles, so soon as they come to know Professor Da is, find him one at whose feet the ' are glad to sit and ha e the advantage of his carefullv sought (jut facts and carefully forniulateil de ductions. Professor Davis is a nati e of Guilford Count . the ' on of Henry and Anna Henley Davis, and was born near Deep Rixer on July 4, iSsn. In the great care which Friends ga e to secondary education, the Friends of Deep Ri er were among the foremost; and it was in the Monthly Meeting school of this place that Professor Davis received the rudiments of his education. After one eai at Westtowri Boarding School (1S71-1872). he entered Ha er- ford College and was graduatetl in 1875 as ' aledictorian of his class. Two years later he returned to his Alma Mater as Assistant Professor of (jreek antl also Assistant Superintendent of the Institution. This position he held for two years. He then spent a year in Germany studying German Philologx at the L ni ersity (jf Leipzig and Strassburg. Another year was occupieil in studying at Johns Hopkins Lni ersity. For some years Professor Da is ga e much attention to, and a- a warm ad (icate of reform spelling. He adopted the reformed method hini- elf, and Cullegian e(h ' ti)rs found their printers correcting ( ?) what the deemed gross misspelling. That Professor Da is is a Phi Beta Kappa has to be told, or no one wduld iind it out, so modest is he. No flaming ke . which most people are nmre than glad to dis- play, declares his honor, and it is more than likel that many nf his nearest friends do not know of it. Page six

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Professor Davis

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In later years Professor Davis has been an enthusiastic, and for him that means scholarly, Biblical student. He is an advanced thinker, head and shoulders above his generation in his communit -, in nil lines of Hihlicnl exegesis, and modern interpreta- tion. His stu(h ' ousness, ampled witli a naturally retiring and shrinking disposition, has made him less known than one could u isii, and at times also misunderstood. Hav- ing the courage of his convictions of truth, thoroughness and fair dealing, in his tienunciation of sham, hypocrisy and carelessness, he sometimes appears stern and severe. But to those who know inm his kindliness, courtesy, careful thoughtfulness, no less than gentleness have made him great. During all these years as a college man, he has never yielded his interest in farm life and lus cows ha e long been known as the cream of excellence as well as the pro- ducers of excellence of cream. One of his daughters laughingly calls herself Farmer Davis ' daughter, while she designates her sister as Professor Davis ' daughter. Professor Daxis has been twice married— his first wife and the mother of his three children was I.aura Mendenhali, tiie second daugiiter of Dr. Nereus Mendenhall. Delicate as a Hower and poetic and artistic as delicate, was her temperament. But in the prime of life siie dropped and faded. Some time later he sought and won another of the same name— a lady of rarely tine cliaracter and culture, Mary E. Mendenhall, the Miss Mary E. so well known to all ( juilfordians. That (luiiford College has had such a one as Professor Davis within its halls all the years of its existence is a fact which has given tone to its grade of scholarship and fostered a spirit of plain living and high thinking. Page seven