Former Shenandoah University President dies at 80

Retired Shenandoah University President James A. “Jim” Davis, a former state delegate who led the institution through a period of significant growth from 1982 to 2008, died Tuesday, Oct. 7, at age 80.

Davis served as the Winchester university’s 15th president, joining when the school was known as Shenandoah College and Conservatory. Under his leadership, the institution achieved university status, and it was renamed Shenandoah University in 1991.

During Davis’s tenure, enrollment grew from 874 to about 3,300 students, while its endowment expanded from $500,000 to more than $50 million. The university’s campus footprint also nearly tripled under his leadership — from 45 to 123 acres, with more than 20 new buildings added. Shenandoah also broadened its academic offerings, launching dozens of new undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs.

“Jim was an extraordinary and transformative leader whose vision and dedication changed countless student lives, built a strong Shenandoah, and lifted up Winchester,” said SU’s current president, Tracy Fitzsimmons, in a statement. “He inspired students and faculty to dream bigger, challenged them to learn and teach with integrity, and he built a community where people felt valued.”

Davis was a mentor to Fitzsimmons, she said, adding that she was “deeply fortunate” to work with him. She said the university owes much to Davis and those who worked with him in the 1980s and 1990s. “Their collective vision and work literally saved Shenandoah,” Fitzsimmons said, “and transformed it into a financially stable and academically diverse university.”

The university also credits Davis for growing its athletic department from one full-time employee to 20  and adding 11 intercollegiate sports. Shenandoah’s Shentel Stadium — the home facility for the Hornets’ football, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s lacrosse programs — opened in 2001.

Upon his retirement in 2008, Davis was given the honorary title of president emeritus. Davis Hall on the university’s main campus is named after him. He and his wife recently returned to Shenandoah this fall to celebrate the university’s 150th anniversary.

Before he came to Shenandoah, Davis was a history professor, academic dean and senior vice president at Ferrum College. He also served for a few years as a Democrat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

He had an associate’s degree from Ferrum College, a bachelor’s degree in history from Randolph-Macon College, a master’s degree in history from Virginia Tech and a doctorate in college administration from Florida State University.

Davis is survived by his wife, Janet, and their three children. A memorial service will take place on Shenandoah University’s main campus in Winchester at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.