View source for William E. Davis

{{Short description|American football coach and politician (1929–2021)}}
{{for|the American judge|W. Eugene Davis}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = William E. Davis
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|2|15}}
| birth_place = [[Wamego, Kansas]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|9|24|1929|2|15}}
| death_place = [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]], U.S.
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1950
| player_team1 = [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]]
| player_positions = [[Halfback (American football)|Halfback]]
| coach_years1 = 1962
| coach_team1 = [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]] (interim HC)
| overall_record = 2–8
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
| awards = 
| coaching_records = 
}}
'''William Eugene''' "'''Bud'''" '''Davis''' (February 15, 1929 – September 24, 2021)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.unm.edu/news/former-unm-president-william-bud-davis-dies|title=Former UNM President William "Bud" Davis dies}}</ref><ref>Davis, William E. (William Eugene), 1929- entry at [http://authorities.loc.gov/ Library of Congress]</ref> was an American [[university president]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politician, and [[American football|football]] coach. He was an interim head football coach for the [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado Buffaloes]] for the 1962 season. He was later the President of [[Idaho State University]] and the [[University of New Mexico]],<ref name=daxcps>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CMVYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6216%2C2795471 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |last=Stahlberg |first=Mark |title=Davis accepts state chancellor's job |date=March 13, 1982 |page=1A}}</ref> and Chancellor of the [[Oregon University System]] and [[Louisiana State University]].

Davis is best known in Colorado for writing the book ''Glory Colorado! A history of the University of Colorado, 1858-1963,'' which was also his doctoral thesis and nearly 800 pages as a publication. As a sitting university president, he ran for the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] in [[Idaho]] {{nowrap|in 1972.<ref name=bdpuks>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nsleAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eDIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3245%2C1074161 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |last=Corlett |first=John |agency=(editorial) |title=Bud Davis picking up key supporters |date=December 5, 1971 |page=4}}</ref>}}

==Early career==
Davis graduated from [[Loveland High School (Loveland, Colorado)|Loveland High School]] in 1947 and enrolled at the [[University of Colorado Boulder|University of Colorado]] at [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] (CU) to stay close to home and near his high school sweetheart, Pollyanne Peterson. As a freshman, he declared he wanted "to be the world's greatest football coach"<ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.cu.edu/sg/messages/2942.html | title=Alum Bud Davis takes on Glory Colorado! Vol. 2 | author=Allison Groff | date=1999-07-29 | access-date=2007-01-09 | publisher=CU.edu}}</ref> and chose a physical education major and English minor. He was a reserve football player on the varsity team. After graduating in 1951, he remained at the University as assistant to the dean of men. He resigned the position to [[enlist]] in the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]].<ref name="bio" /> The spring of his senior year he married Peterson.

In 1960, Davis completed his master's degree in education administration at the [[University of Northern Colorado|Colorado State College of Education]] in [[Greeley, Colorado|Greeley]] and became CU's alumni director while working on his doctoral degree in education.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cualum.org/heritage/virtual_tour/hall_alumni.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020204024239/http://www.cualum.org/heritage/virtual_tour/hall_alumni.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 4, 2002 |title=CU Distinguished Alumni by Category |access-date=2007-01-09 }}</ref> After [[Sonny Grandelius]] left Colorado with [[NCAA]] sanctions, Davis was hired to be the football team's interim head coach on March 27, [[1962 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1962]].<ref name=alncfbc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kMZeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LDIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3046%2C4369157 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|agency=Associated Press |title=Alumni leader new Colorado football coach |date=March 28, 1962 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=dngcac>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YDtWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6790%2C5058235|work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Davis named grid coach at Colorado |date=March 28, 1962 |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=ccstmspp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9jsnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P0gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6327%2C5375612  |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |agency=UPI |last=Meakins |first=Gene |title=Colorado coach seeks team support |date=March 28, 1962 |page=B7}}</ref><ref name="Football">{{cite web|url=http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf6/47951.pdf?SPSID=62928&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600|title=Colorado Football Media Guide|format=PDF|access-date=2007-01-09}}</ref> He had no collegiate coaching experience, just five years as a high school head coach.<ref name=dngcac/><ref name=ccstmspp/>

The Buffaloes had just one win entering the finale at home on November 24, but pulled off an inspired 34–10 upset of heavily-favored [[Air Force Falcons football|Air Force]] <!-- 21-point underdog -->at [[Folsom Field]] to finish {{nowrap|at 2–8,}} the worst record in the program's 72-year history.<ref name="Football" /><ref name=lmtupset>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XbBeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jy8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5815%2C3969572 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Colorado stuns Air Force, 34-10 |date=November 25, 1962 |page=9}}</ref><ref name=drtfwn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bdozAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6862%2C4786130 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Davis resignation told following win |date=November 25, 1962 |page=6B}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=26892&SPID=274&SPSID=4460 | title=Plati-'tudes | publisher=CUBuffs.com | access-date=2007-01-09 | date=2003-09-18 }}</ref> The eight-month Bud Davis era at Boulder ended that day with his post-game resignation.<ref name=drtfwn/> In early [[1963 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1963]], [[1962 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]] assistant [[Eddie Crowder]] was hired on January 2,<ref name="Football" /><ref name=cscugrd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LJMpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JUoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4514%2C485218|work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |agency=UPI |title=Crowder signs 5-year Colorado U. grid pact |date=January 2, 1963 |page=6B}}</ref><ref name=crowdesn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LZMpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JUoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5240%2C979921 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |agency=UPI |title=Crowder names 3 assistants |date=January 4, 1963 |page=B7}}</ref> awarded a five-year contract at [[United States dollar|$]]15,000 per year.<ref name=cscugrd/>

===Head coaching record===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado Buffaloes]]
 | conf      = [[Big Eight Conference]]
 | startyear = 1962
 | endyear   = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1962 NCAA University Division football season|1962]]
 | name         = [[1962 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 2–8
 | conference   = 1–6
 | confstanding = 7th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Colorado
 | overall    = 2–8
 | confrecord = 1–6
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 2–8
 | bowls        = no
 | poll         = no
 | polltype     = 
 | legend       = no
}}

==''Glory Colorado!''==
While working on his doctoral degree and coaching the football team Davis was writing his thesis. He received special permission from the doctoral thesis committee to bypass the standard format and write the historical narrative book about the history of the University of Colorado at Boulder until that point.<ref name="bio" /> The name was chosen because the school song of the same name, which is set to the music of "[[Battle Hymn of the Republic]]", which he felt captured the school's spirit.<ref name="bio" /> He acquired the bulk of information for the book from student-published and local city newspapers. It was published in 1965 by Fred Pruitt, founder of Pruitt Press Inc. and also a journalism professor, who offered to print it at no cost. The book has been called the "primary historical reference for the University".<ref name="bio" /> The book, no longer in print, was sold canvas-bound for $8. An index to supplement the text was later published and distributed by the Associated Alumni.

==Career==
After receiving his doctoral degree in 1963, Davis left CU to become executive assistant to the president for student affairs at the [[University of Wyoming]] in [[Laramie, Wyoming|Laramie]].

In 1972, while president at Idaho State in [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]], Davis won the Democratic nomination for the open [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seat in [[Idaho]].<ref name=mccdarsn>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6MdeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QjIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4163%2C1680412 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|location=(Idaho)|agency=Associated Press|title=McClure, Davis are rival Senate nominees|date=August 9, 1972|page=1}}</ref><ref name=budsenad72>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aIJfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lTAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5084%2C1223709|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|location=(Idaho)|title=Bud Davis for Senate|agency=advertisement|date=November 5, 1972|page=2}}</ref> He was defeated in the general election by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Congressman [[James A. McClure|Jim McClure]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://prod.library.utoronto.ca:8090/datalib/codebooks/icpsr/2536/NES72_76/app72_76.cbk | title=Ref Notes Data | publisher=University of Toronto Data Library Service | date=2001-07-10 | access-date=2007-01-09 }}</ref><ref name=cwhtdcs>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bIJfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lTAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3223%2C2275835|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|agency=Associated Press|title=Congressional winners heading to D.C. soon|date=November 9, 1972|page=1}}</ref> McClure garnered 52.26% of the vote, followed by Davis with 45.52%, and a third-party candidate with 2.22%.<ref name=ootcest>{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/|publisher=United States House of Representatives|title=Office of the Clerk: Election statistics|access-date=March 22, 2013}}</ref>
{{more|1972 United States Senate election in Idaho}}

Davis was the President of Idaho State University (1965–1975) and University of New Mexico (1975–1982),<ref name=daxcps/><ref name=lmtap82>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WJlfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iTEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3362%2C5468942 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Former Idaho State president accepts job in Oregon system |date=March 14, 1982 |page=4B }}</ref> Chancellor of the Oregon University System (1982–1989) and Louisiana State University (1989–1996).

Davis published other works, including ''Miracle on the Mesa / A History of the University of New Mexico, 1889–2003''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unmpress.com/pdf/S06catalog.pdf|title=UNMPress Spring 06 Calatlog | publisher=UNMPress.com | access-date=2007-01-09 }}</ref> He served on the board of directors for Sunrise Bank of Albuquerque starting in 2005.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.capitolbancorp.com/AR2005/2005_annual_report.pdf | title=2005 Annual Report | publisher=CapitalBanCorp.com | author=Steven A. Marcum | access-date=2007-01-09 | year=2005}}</ref>

==Later life==
Davis was commissioned by CU to write Volume 2 of ''Glory Colorado!'' ({{isbn|978-0870818936}}) in 1999. It covered the period from 1963 (the end of the first book) to 2000. Davis authored the book [[pro bono]], writing a majority of it in the summer of 1999 while on break from Louisiana State University. It was published in 2007.

Davis died in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97139856/william-bud-davis-former-university-l/ |title=William 'Bud' Davis, former university leader, dies at 92 |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[Times-News (Idaho)|Times-News]] |location=[[Twin Falls, Idaho]] |page=A4 |date=October 14, 2021 |accessdate=March 7, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> He had been married to Pollyanne Peterson, who died in 2020; they had four daughters and one son.

== Awards and honors==
{{Quote box
 |title     = 
 |quote     = Universities perform miracles. They change lives. The University of Colorado made it possible for me to have a life of wild adventure.
 |author    = William E. Davis<ref name="bio" />
 |source    = 
 |align     = right
 |width     = 33%
 |border    = 
 |fontsize  = 90%
}}

* [[George Norlin]] Award, for distinguished service (1975)
* University of Colorado Alumnus of the Century Award (1977)
* CU Athletic Hall of Honor Award (1980)
* Davis Field, named in his honor
** Outdoor venue for track & field and soccer on the Idaho State University campus in Pocatello; formerly the "[[Spud Bowl]]" ({{coord|42.859|-112.431}})<ref name=isudavf>{{cite web|url=http://www.isubengals.com/sports/2010/10/11/GEN_1011103759.aspx?path=general&tab=7|publisher=Idaho State University athletics|title=Davis Field|access-date=April 1, 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box
| title=President of [[Idaho State University]]
| before=[[Donald E. Walker]]
| after=[[Charles Kegel]]
| years=1965–1975
}}
{{succession box
| title=President of [[University of New Mexico]]
| before=[[Ferrel Heady]]
| after=[[John Perovich]]
| years=1975–1982
}}
{{succession box
| title=Chancellor of [[Louisiana State University]]
| before=[[E. Grady Bogue]]
| after=[[William L. Jenkins (chancellor)|William L. Jenkins]]
| years=1989–1996
}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] nominee, [[List of United States Senators from Idaho|United States Senator (Class 2) from Idaho]]
| before=[[Ralph R. Harding]]
| after=[[Dwight Jensen]]
| years=[[1972 United States Senate election in Idaho|1972]] (lost)
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Colorado Buffaloes football coach navbox}}
{{University of New Mexico presidents}}
{{Louisiana State University leaders}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, William E.}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:American football halfbacks]]
[[Category:Colorado Buffaloes football coaches]]
[[Category:Colorado Buffaloes football players]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1972 United States elections]]
[[Category:Idaho Democrats]]
[[Category:Leaders of Louisiana State University]]
[[Category:Presidents of Idaho State University]]
[[Category:Presidents of the University of New Mexico]]
[[Category:University of Northern Colorado alumni]]
[[Category:People from Loveland, Colorado]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Colorado]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Colorado]]
[[Category:United States Marines]]