John Bunyan Shearer was educated at Hampden-Sydney College, the University of Virginia, and Union Theological Seminary. When elected president of the college in 1888, Shearer brought to Davidson a vast array of experience in teaching and pastoral work. While following the practice of teaching classes in addition to being president, Shearer was particularly active in public relations and fund raising work for the College. In 1901, the last year of his presidency, he instituted required Bible classes for all students. That same year, he remodeled the old Chapel and renamed it Shearer Hall in honor of his wife.
Built as library in 1941. Dedicated May 1, 1942. West wing
added in 1958. Remodeled as College Union in 1975. Remodeled in 2002 as the Sloan
Music Center.
Built in 1897 as faculty house. Used as administrative offices
in 1960s. Student dormitory 1972-1992. Remodeled as offices for College Relations in 1992.
The second floor of the E.H. Little Library at Davidson College houses the Smith Rare Book Room, an elegant room filled with handsome furniture, beautiful rugs and the library's unique, rare, and unusual book collections. The room was named in honor of four brothers, Dr. Henry Louis Smith, Dr. Egbert Watson Smith, Dr. Charles Alphonso Smith and Dr. Hay Watson Smith, all graduates of Davidson College. C. Alphonso Smith, Jr. provided funds for the decoration and dedication of the original Smith Rare Book Room in Grey Memorial Library. The same name was given to E.H. Little Library's rare book room in grateful recognition of the continued interest, support, and devotion Davidson College has received from the Smith family.
Henry Louis Smith, D.D. was Davidson’s first president who was not a Presbyterian minister. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Smith graduated from Davidson College in 1881. After receiving advanced degrees from the University of Virginia, he returned to Davidson in 1887 as a professor of physics and was elected president in 1901. He was brother-in-law to future president Walter Lingle.
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Davidson College in 1923, Hugh Hollingsworth Smith received his M.D. and M.P.H. (Masters of Public Health) from Johns Hopkins University. After completing his work at Johns Hopkins, Smith spent two years (1928-30) as instructor in medicine at Strong Memorial
Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. He then began a twenty-five year association with the International Health Division of the Rockefeller Foundation (1930-54). It was during this time that Smith became the principal member of the scientific team that developed the yellow fever vaccine for the Rockefeller Foundation.
Soccer
Davidson College soccer started well before its first varsity season; sons of foreign missionaries in East Asia brought soccer, to them football, to Davidson, beginning a lasting tradition. In 1935, the recorded beginning of the sport, students played pick-up games.
The first president of the Davidson student body to become president of the college was Samuel Reid Spencer, Jr., class of 1940. After graduating summa cum laude from Davidson College, Dr. Spencer, LL.D. served in the U.S. Army during 1940-1945 and was released from active duty as a major. He entered Harvard University graduate school, where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. In 1951, Spencer returned to Davidson to serve as assistant to President Cunningham. After three years at Davidson, he was named Dean of Students and Associate Professor of History, advancing to full professor in 1955. He left Davidson in 1957 to become president of Mary Baldwin College. From 1966 until 1968, he served on the Davidson College Board of Trustees. In 1968, he returned once again to Davidson and accepted the office of presidency.
The Stapleton-Davidson internship (Stapleton) was founded by George Donnell Davidson Jr. and his wife Anne Stapleton Davidson in 1989. Don Davidson Jr., who graduated from Davidson College in 1939 remained an involved alumnus. He and his wife were twelve year trustees of the college prior to the internship’s creation in 1989.
The first non-residential building erected on the old quadrangle
was the Steward’s Hall (completed a year before the chapel) at which all
students were required to eat.
Built 1836-7, Steward’s Hall was the first non-residential building built on Davidson’s original quadrangle and served as the first student “commons.” The college, however, did not entirely assume responsibility for students’ dining – it provided a location but did not supply the food.
