TWC ARCHES Winter 2013

TWC’s Davis inducted
into NAIA Hall of Fame
Aformer Tennessee Wesleyan College basketball star is one
of 12 who are honored this year with an induction into
the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall
of Fame. Bobby Davis, class of 1968, is one of TWC’s most highly
regarded athletes in the college’s history. His accomplishments
include more than a dozen distinguished athletic honors and in
addition, he held the record as a TWC leading scorer with 1,985
points until 1985.
Since it was established in 1952, the NAIA Hall of Fame has
welcomed just 1,172 members for an average of 19 inductees per
year. The Hall of Fame consists of a division for each sport currently
or formerly sponsored by the Association, with the inductees in
each division broken down into three categories: athletes, coaches
and meritorious service. The title of Hall of Famer is the highest
individual honor bestowed by the NAIA.
“It is a great honor and I am humbled by my selection,” said
Davis, whose post-TWC career took him from coaching basketball
to working in sales and marketing. “I want to thank those who
nominated and supported me, as well as the selection committee.
Tennessee Wesleyan was a great experience for me, a great place
to continue my education and to play basketball.”
Davis credits his former coaches and teammates for the successes
he had on the court.
“I had the privilege of playing
for Coach Dwain Farmer
and was surrounded by a
talented group of teammates,”
said Davis. “Any success I
achieved in basketball can be
Bobby Davis, ’68
attributed to great coaching in
high school and college and all my former Tennessee Wesleyan
Bulldogs teammates.”
One of many who nominated Davis for the Hall of Fame honor,
TWC Director of Athletics Donny Mayfield believes he exemplifies
TWC athletic excellence.
“In my 14 years at TWC, if the question of who is the best TWC
basketball player of all time is asked, the name Bobby Davis is
always the first to be mentioned,” said Mayfield. “Almost five
decades since he put on a TWC uniform, his name is still at the top
of all time TWC greats and based on his accomplishments, it will
be tough for anyone to surpass.”
Davis currently works in marketing part-time at Marvin Concepts
and Dealers Warehouse Corporation in Knoxville, Tenn., and
enjoys playing golf and traveling in his free time. He and his
wife Suzanne, who he met at TWC, recently celebrated their 45th
anniversary. They have two daughters, Jennifer and Katie, and a
7-year-old granddaughter, Kayla. A
U.S. News ranks Tennessee Wesleyan
a top tier regional college
Tennessee Wesleyan College placed in the top tier in the
South for Best Regional Colleges according to U.S. News
and World Report’s new 2014 edition of “Best Colleges.” Annually
U.S. News compiles a list of the top schools in the country, ranking
more than 1,600 schools nationwide.
“We are honored to once again be ranked in the top tier among
other fine colleges in the South,” said TWC President Dr. Harley
Knowles. “This is further validation that we offer a high value
educational experience that prepares students to be leaders in
their chosen careers and in their communities.”
U.S. News classifies regional colleges as schools that focus almost
entirely on the undergraduate experience and offer a broad range
of programs in the liberal arts and in fields such as business,
nursing and education.
“It is important to the college that we continue to move up the
rankings as we strive to serve students in this region, as well as
those outside the region,” said Dr. Knowles. “Reports like U.S.
News’ ’Best Colleges’ provide a constructive comparison of various
colleges and universities for students looking to continue their
academic careers through higher education.”
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