William Davies

Class of 1915: President at Eau Claire

William Robert “W.R.” Davies was a Wisconsin educator who was named the second president of Eau Claire State Teachers College in December 1940. He served in that role until his death in 1959.

Davies was born Aug. 19, 1893, in Tenino, Washington, and grew up on a farm near Cambria, Columbia County, Wisconsin. At Ripon, he majored in mathematics and philosophy, was a fellow in philosophy and participated in YMCA, Welsh Club, German Club and debate. He received a master’s degree in education in 1921 from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and took additional courses in education at Columbia University, the University of Chicago and the University of Minnesota.

Davies served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and was discharged as a sergeant first class in April 1919. As a school administrator, he was the assistant principal of the Endeavor Academy, a private Congregational school in Marquette County; principal of McKinley Senior High School in Marshfield; principal and superintendent of schools in Shawano; and superintendent of schools in Beaver Dam and Superior before going to Eau Claire.

His major accomplishments at Eau Claire include the establishment of the faculty senate, student government and the University Foundation; creation of The Forum, one of the oldest continuous lecture series in the country; the first addition of academic buildings since the founding of the school in 1916; building of the first residence halls, student center and library; acquisition of the 230-acre Putnam Park; and purchase of 48 acres of land for an upper campus.

He also led the effort to have the college accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools for the first time; and the permission in 1951 from the Wisconsin Legislature to grant Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. At that time, the name of the college became Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire.

Other activities included forming the Eau Claire chapter of the United Nations Association and serving as state president of the association; and organizing the Wisconsin State College Foundation in 1958 and serving on its inaugural board. The foundation raised funds for the new National Defense Student Loans Program that provided low-interest loans for promising but needy students.

He received Ripon’s Distinguished Alumni Citation in 1947.

He died Dec. 10, 1959, at the age of 66.