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William Hersey Davis, Jr., MD

Dr. Davis

Dr. Davis was a beloved husband, son, father, and grandfather. He was also a mentor to countless young people and physicians. Born in 1918 in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of a Southern Baptist theologian, Dr. Davis received his BA and his MD degrees cum laude from Duke University. After service in WWII, he completed his residency in pediatrics at UNC.

Dr. Davis practiced pediatrics in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for 40 years. He taught as a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Bowman Gray School of Medicine from 1955 to 1990, and was Clinical Professor Emeritus from 1990 until his death in 1999.

He received the North Carolina governor’s award, the “Order of the Longleaf Pine” for his work in neonatology. Dr. Davis was married to Clarice Tyson Davis for 56 years. Mrs. Davis’ warm and captivating personality delighted early Davis recipients as she always went out of her way to get to know each one personally up until her death in 2014.