Kesha Williams
May 22, 2008
Elizabeth City State University is saddened by the loss of Mr. Walter R. Davis, a local philanthropist for whom the university’s School of Business and Economics is named. Davis’ contributions to ECSU, $250,000, spanned three decades. Thanks to his donation, ECSU offers qualified business majors the Davis Scholarship which includes a laptop computer, a cash stipend for tuition and fees and travel expenses for field trips to regional businesses. Davis’s contribution was used as seed money that was coupled with funds from three sources to create endowed scholarships. Those $1,000 scholarships were given annually to three freshmen majoring in business. The recipients of the scholarship are known as the Davis Scholars. The three endowments are funded by Matt and Holly Cook Wood Wachovia Bank, and the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina. ECSU Chancellor Willie J. Gilchrist said he was sorry for the community’s loss of Mr. Davis. He credits Davis with making scholarship donations that have been critical to the advancement of bright students. "While the state legislature has been generous to the state’s public schools, small schools like ECSU need more privately funded scholarships. Mr. Davis’s donation helped students advance over the last three decades. We hope other prospective donors realize the impact they can have when they make contributions to the university." Davis also supported the creation of the Albemarle Business Report, an annual publication produced by students and faculty in the Walter R. Davis School of Business and Economics, which highlights regional business trends. ECSU faculty say contributions from Davis and those who support the endowed scholarships are invaluable to the students enrolled in the Walter R. Davis School of Business. Those contributions allow the professors to extend the educational experience to sites beyond the classroom. Two weeks ago, ECSU’s top graduate also known as the Bearer of the Mace, Deysi Galvan Juarez, celebrated the completion of her degree program. She majored in accounting and business administration. Galvan Juarez was a Davis Scholar and praised the Walter R. Davis School of Business and Economics for offering the scholarship. "I wasn’t able to buy a laptop computer as a freshman so I was glad the scholarship provided one. It was portable and that allowed me work at home on assignments, to take it to school and work on papers, and to complete projects for Financial Statement Analysis, Managerial Accounting classes," Galvan Juarez said. "The tuition and fees really helped me as well as the yearly (field) trip to see how companies operate. The Davis Scholarship made you stand out from other students so the professors had a good first impression of you."
