St. Philips College (SPC) Professor Emeritus Dr. William C. Davis passed away on March 16, 2022, at the age of 95. Dr. Davis led a remarkable career as a researcher, food chemist and educator. His career was set in motion when his father took him on a road trip from the family's home in Valdosta, Georgia, to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. There, the young Davis attended a workshop with George Washington Carver and Henry Ford. Seeing African American professors and scientists in action inspired Davis to become a chemist.

Davis went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Talladega College (Ala.) (talladega.edu) in 1956 and a Masters of Science in Organic Chemistry from the Tuskegee Institute (tuskegee.edu) in 1958, where he was a George Washington Carver Research Fellow. Dr. Davis went on to create instant mash potatoes, soft-serve ice cream and industrial glue. He standardized medical tests for insulin and growth hormones. Working with a St. Philips College colleague, the late Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Lanier Byrd, Dr. Davis studied the characteristics of drinking water and co-created the formula for Dasani brand water.

It is his love for science and math that he became committed to addressing the issue of needing more professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors. Helping to support the Dr. William C. Davis Scholarship will ensure that students have an opportunity for scholarships to pursue a degree in the STEM field.