In Memoriam: Richard H. Davis, 80
Richard Harding Davis, Ph.D., former editor at the Andrus Gerontology Center and professor emeritus, died on August 30, 2009 after a battle with cancer. He was 80.
An expert in communication and aging, Davis’ research focused on how the mass media affects older adults and on information dissemination to older
populations. He was also a pioneer in recognizing and promoting the importance of film as a teaching and conscious-raising mechanism for gerontology.
Described by former USC colleagues as “spirited, energetic, full of ideas, and always someone to enjoy interacting with,” Davis was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on July 22, 1929 in the care of an orphanage. After being raised by an adopted family, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. In 1951, he moved to Southern California with his wife Colleen to work in broadcasting; eventually the couple settled in Whittier, where they both taught in public school districts.
In 1968, he took a position as a research associate at the USC Dept. of Industrial Systems Engineering. He went on to serve as research editor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, publications editor at the newly established Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, and senior lecturer in the Dept. of Telecommunication before completing his Ph.D. in communications in 1972.
As publications editor at the Andrus Gerontology Center, he oversaw the production and marketing of several multi-authored books, monographs, bibliographies and conference proceedings.
Another of his great passions was film. He was among the first to identify criteria for judging movies to be used in gerontology instruction. He was also a major force behind conducting film festivals at annual conventions such as the Gerontological Society of America and the American Society on Aging. Davis secured several grants in this area and published directories that provided guidance to faculty looking for films to incorporate into their curriculum at a time when many gerontology instructors had limited background in the field.
James Birren, Ph.D., founding dean of the USC Davis School and the first executive director of the Andrus Center, called him a “pioneer in gerontology.”
“At the Andrus Gerontology Center, he was a valuable early colleague who helped the developing field in many ways,” Birren said. “He was a good writer and editor and helped refine early publications.”
Victor Regnier, FAIA, professor of architecture and gerontology, remembered Davis as “a larger than life guy.” He recalled sitting in on one of Davis’ Cinema and Television classes as “an amazingly creative cultural experience.”
Phoebe Liebig, Ph.D., professor emeritus and a former colleague, remembered Davis as “an excellent, sympathetic instructor who valued the role of the humanities in both the undergraduate and master's level USC Davis School programs.”
Davis retired in 1986 and moved to Prescott, Arizona where he worked as a docent in the local museum of Western art. During his 18 years in the Southwest, he lectured on Oriental art in grade school classrooms and enjoyed rewarding friendships. In 2008, his health demanded that he move to Charlotte, North Carolina to be near his son Christopher, a professor in the English Dept. at U.N.C. Charlotte. He lived the last two years of his life in a continuing care retirement community.
|
