Countless University of Mississippi accountancy alumni credit their personal and professional success to retired professor Dr. James W. “Jimmy” Davis, who has devoted 55 years to leading, teaching and mentoring. Now, he is giving back in yet another meaningful way.
“Ole Miss is my whole life,” Davis said. “It’s been good to me, and this is my opportunity to repay the university.”
Davis and the late Professor H.E. “Gene” Peery are often described as the “underpinnings and bedrocks” of the Patterson School of Accountancy. Continuing that legacy, Davis has committed $100,000 toward the construction of Jones Hall, the school’s new home overlooking the iconic Grove.
The Patterson School of Accountancy has risen to No. 8 in the nation, and its new $125 million, 110,000-square-foot building — located at the corner of University Avenue and Grove Loop — will feature tiered auditoriums and classrooms, study areas, administrative and faculty suites, and outdoor terraces and balconies.
“This is the most significant project in any of our lifetimes — having a stand-alone building for the accountancy school,” Davis said. “I hope my gift will inspire others to give. A shiny, new 21st-century building would be another step toward improving our ranking to No. 1.
“And the location for Jones Hall is unbelievable. The Grove is such a central part of campus — it’s second only to the Lyceum in the lives of our alumni.”
Mark Wilder, dean of the Patterson School of Accountancy, said Davis and Peery “devoted their lives to providing the best education possible for their students,” helping shape the student-centered reputation that defines the school today.
“If you want to understand the widespread impact of Dr. Davis, you only have to know that the James W. Davis Scholarship Endowment is one of the accountancy school’s premier scholarships,” Wilder said. “Faculty, alumni and friends have elevated the scholarship to more than $1.6 million (and growing) through their gifts of appreciation. Endowments named for a professor with this kind of value are few and far between.
“I cannot overstate the importance of Dr. Davis’ contributions to the Patterson School — from serving as dean, to teaching three generations of students, helping them secure jobs, building strong alumni relationships and guiding our school with tremendous vision. He is legendary.”
Alumni and friends are invited to contribute to Davis’ building fund before the school designates a space in the new building to be named in his honor.
Ole Miss alumnus and donor Jesse Tutor of Houston, Texas, a retired managing partner at Accenture, said Davis — an Ole Miss graduate at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels — was both an exceptional teacher and a relatable mentor.
“I respected him not only as a great professor but also someone who could relate to students. When he returned to Ole Miss, I was a student, but he would go have a beer with us,” Tutor said.
“Professor Davis followed Professor Peery as the two professors most invested in their students’ success. They made sure we joined the right organizations and interviewed with the most appropriate firms,” he continued. “Dr. Davis is a mentor, a great professor and a lifelong friend. He challenged all of us to do our best and supported us in achieving our goals.”
Ole Miss alumnus and donor Brent Wood of Madison, Mississippi, also recognized Davis’ influence on his life. In fact, he served as the professor’s graduate assistant in spring 1992.
“I went to Ole Miss without a specific major in mind. After taking an Accounting 201 class taught by Dr. Jimmy Davis, he encouraged me to consider pursuing a major in accountancy. Looking back, I see that his advice established the entire course for my future,” said Wood, chief financial officer with EastGroup Properties.
Davis said the school’s alumni are essential to its national reputation.
“We have the most loyal alumni of any school at the university, and they have been prosperous leaders in the profession nationally and internationally,” he said. “They have also given back in appreciation for what Ole Miss gave them.”
When asked how he feels when alumni cite his influence as inspiration for their gifts, Davis replied, “Very humbled.”
Davis joined the faculty in 1965 and held the distinguished H. Eugene Peery Chair in Accountancy for 25 years following Peery’s death. He received the university-wide Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award in 1985 and the Patterson School’s outstanding teacher award in 1983, 1988, 1993, 2004 and 2008. He earned the Mississippi Society of CPAs Outstanding Educator Award in 1993, later serving as its president, and was inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014.
A loyal donor since 1982, Davis has directed his retirement fund to the scholarship endowment that bears his name to help the school continue recruiting top accountancy students.
For more information about supporting the new home of the Patterson School of Accountancy or honoring Davis, contact Jason McCormick, executive director for development, at jason@olemiss.edu or 662-915-1757. To make a gift, visit here.
By Tina H. Hahn/UM Development