Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Philip Crowson Eddie J. Davis, class of 1967, stands near the staircase in the Hagler Center. After serving as interim president for the University, Davis has returned to his position as the president of the Texas A&M Foundation. [Click to enlarge]

Eddie J. Davis is a firm man who speaks clearly and communicates well. Friday afternoon the former interim president communicated the depth of his dedication to Texas A&M.

"I'm not going to stop working for the betterment of A&M," Davis said, a statement that speaks of hi loyalty to A&M.

Davis was appointed interim president on Dec. 18, 2006, to fill the void left by former President Robert Gates, who was tapped to serve as the U.S. secretary of defense. On Jan. 2, 2008, Davis returned to the A&M Foundation, the major fundraising arm for the University, where he had been president for the previous 14 years.

"My hope is to use the experience there and the energy level here to get out and visit with a lot more people about helping Texas A&M," Davis said. "The people in the foundation are a little nervous that I might keep up this energy level for another year or two," he said jokingly, adding that he did not think that it would be possible.

Davis, class of 1967, has dedicated more than four decades of work to A&M. Prior to joining the foundation, he served in every major financial position at the University.

Many students' first memory of Davis as interim president is favorable as he canceled the first two days of class in Spring 2007 because of an ice storm. "I immediately loved Dr. Davis as interim president. The first thing he did was give us a couple extra days off," said Haley Bliss, a senior recreation, park and tourism sciences major.

However, there were a number of crises, which included the Center for Disease Control suspending A&M's license to conduct biodefense research and two head coaching changes.

Continued...

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