Norman Davis

NORMAN DUANE DAVIS 1928 - 2011 Dr. Norman Davis, a resident of Auburn since 1958, was born in San Diego, California in 1928 with roots in West Tennessee and Kentucky. He passed away suddenly on July 3, 2011. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1946 - 48 and in the U.S. Air Force, 1950. He received his B.S. degree in Biological Science from the University of Georgia in 1953, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Botany from Ohio State University in 1955 and 1957. He was an instructor at the University of Georgia, 1957 - 58 and joined the faculty of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, in 1958 as an Assistant Professor of Botany. Since 1961 he held joint appointments in the School of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. Dr. Davis retired from Auburn University in 1990 as Professor Emeritus of Botany. While at Auburn he taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in botany, biology, and microbiology. His teaching specialty was industrial microbiology; his research specialty was mycotoxicology. He published extensively in scientific journals and agricultural experiment station bulletins, coauthored five editions of Guide and Key to Alabama Trees, and contributed chapters to monographs including Microbial Technology and Food and Beverage Mycology. He was an Alumni Professor of Botany, 1985 - 87, and Director of the Auburn University Cell Science Center, 1987 - 1990. His most pleasant experiences during his 32 year career at Auburn University were teaching general botany, teaching industrial microbiology, and serving as advisor or co-advisor to 18 graduate students. Dr. Davis was a past p resident of the local chapter of the national research honor society, Sigma Xi, and a member of a number of agricultural and biology honor societies. He was a past president of APRES, the American Peanut Research and Education Society, and a co-recipient, with Urban Diener, of the Golden Peanut Research award for 1972. He served on a variety of regional, national and international panels and task forces in mycotoxicology including the United States-Japan Conference on Toxic Microorganisms, and an FDA regional task force on Food Safety. He was a member of the American Society for Microbiology, the Society for Industrial Microbiology, the American Chemical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. He was also a past president of the Auburn Lions Club, a member and past Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Auburn, and a charter member of the Still Waters Yacht Club. Dr. Davis was preceded in death by his parents, Elsie Davis Wood and Richard Earl Davis. He is survived by his wife, Juanita Loudermilk Davis of Auburn, son Dr. Richard Davis of Tifton, GA, daughter Beverly Kelly of Senoia, GA, and granddaughters Katherine Barker Vineyard of Atlanta, GA, and Alexandra Kelly of Senoia, GA. The family will receive friends for visitation at Fredericks Funeral Home Tuesday, July 5 from 5:00 until 7:00 pm/cst. Dr. Davis will be laid to rest with a memorial service at Yonah Memorial Gardens in Demorest, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to a favorite charity or to the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn. Fredericks Funeral Home is directing. www.fredericksfh.com Since 1900