Dr. James W. Davis, Peery Professor of Accountancy
204B Conner
(662) 915-1543
Dr. James W. Davis is a professor in the Patterson School of Accountancy and holds the distinguished Peery Chair in Accountancy. He served as dean of the school from 1993 until 2002, and has been a member of the accountancy faculty since 1965. Dr. Davis is a native of Panola County, Mississippi, and attended public schools at Pleasant Grove and Sardis. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Ole Miss, all with majors in accountancy.
He is a Certified Public Accountant (retired) and has experience in industry and in the Houston office of Arthur Andersen. He served as president of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants in 1983-1984.Previously he had served as the Society’s secretary, chair of several committees and as a member of the Board of Governors.
As the unofficial historian for the Society, he authored a history of accountancy in Mississippi in 1977, based upon his doctoral dissertation.
Former students and friends of Dr. Davis have established The James W. Davis Scholarship in Accountancy at The University of Mississippi Foundation. The endowment of approximately $600,000 provides $3,000 scholarships annually for several accountancy students and is administered by the Dean of the Patterson School of Accountancy.
Dr. Davis received the University-wide Outstanding Teacher Award in 1985 and received the Patterson School’s outstanding teacher awards in 1983, 1988, 1993, 2004 and 2008. He received the Mississippi Society’s Outstanding Educator Award in 1993.
He is a trustee of the Mississippi Society’s Educational Foundation. He holds memberships in Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Beta Alpha Psi. He is a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford. Dr. Davis enjoys travel, reading, and collecting books and has a complete collection of Ole Miss Annuals.
Dr. James W. Davis’ Curriculum VITAE
