Early life & education
- He was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, as the first of three children to Lawrence A. Davis Sr. and Catherine Davis.
- He attended Merrill High School in Pine Bluff.
- He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from AM&N College (which became UAPB) in 1958.
- He earned a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
He earned a Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from Iowa State University of Science and Technology.
Career at UAPB
- ?After teaching at what was then AM&N College and holding roles as instructor, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Physics, dean of Arts & Sciences/Liberal & Fine Arts, he was named Chancellor of UAPB in 1991.
- He served as Chancellor for 21 years, making him one of the longer-serving chancellors in Arkansas higher education.
- Under his leadership he achieved several institutional milestones:
- Retired a large operating deficit (~$3.5 million) and stabilized finances.
- Implemented an enrollment management plan and campus master plan for growth and infrastructure improvement.
- Oversaw construction/renovation of major campus facilities (e.g., a business school building, science labs, student housing).
- Helped establish doctoral programs in aquaculture/fisheries, master’s degrees in addiction studies and aquaculture, and reaffirmed accreditation for the institution.
- He was deeply committed to the university and the local Pine Bluff community — frequently quoted as saying UAPB was “in my blood … this is my home”.