William E. Davis

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American football coach and politician (1929–2021)

title: "William E. Davis" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1929-births", "2021-deaths", "american-football-halfbacks", "colorado-buffaloes-football-coaches", "colorado-buffaloes-football-players", "candidates-in-the-1972-united-states-elections", "idaho-democrats", "leaders-of-louisiana-state-university", "presidents-of-idaho-state-university", "presidents-of-the-university-of-new-mexico", "university-of-northern-colorado-alumni", "people-from-loveland,-colorado", "players-of-american-football-from-colorado", "coaches-of-american-football-from-colorado", "united-states-marines"] description: "American football coach and politician (1929–2021)" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Davis" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American football coach and politician (1929–2021) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox college coach"]

FieldValue
nameWilliam E. Davis
birth_date
birth_placeWamego, Kansas, U.S.
death_date
death_placeAlbuquerque, U.S.
player_years11950
player_team1Colorado
player_positionsHalfback
coach_years11962
coach_team1Colorado (interim HC)
overall_record2–8
::

| name = William E. Davis | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Wamego, Kansas, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Albuquerque, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_years1 = 1950 | player_team1 = Colorado | player_positions = Halfback | coach_years1 = 1962 | coach_team1 = 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) was an American university president, Democratic politician, and football coach. He was an interim head football coach for the Colorado Buffaloes for the 1962 season. He was later the President of Idaho State University and the University of New Mexico, 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 U.S. Senate in Idaho in 1972.

Early career

Davis graduated from Loveland High School in 1947 and enrolled at the University of Colorado at 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" 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 U.S. Marine Corps. The spring of his senior year he married Peterson.

In 1960, Davis completed his master's degree in education administration at the Colorado State College of Education in Greeley and became CU's alumni director while working on his doctoral degree in education. After Sonny Grandelius left Colorado with NCAA sanctions, Davis was hired to be the football team's interim head coach on March 27, 1962. He had no collegiate coaching experience, just five years as a high school head coach.

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 at Folsom Field to finish at 2–8, the worst record in the program's 72-year history. The eight-month Bud Davis era at Boulder ended that day with his post-game resignation. awarded a five-year contract at $15,000 per year.

Head coaching record

| name = Colorado Buffaloes | conf = Big Eight Conference | startyear = 1962 | endyear = single | championship = | year = 1962 | name = Colorado | overall = 2–8 | conference = 1–6 | confstanding = 7th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | name = Colorado | overall = 2–8 | confrecord = 1–6 | 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. 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. 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". 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.

In 1972, while president at Idaho State in Pocatello, Davis won the Democratic nomination for the open U.S. Senate seat in Idaho. He was defeated in the general election by Republican Congressman Jim McClure. McClure garnered 52.26% of the vote, followed by Davis with 45.52%, and a third-party candidate with 2.22%.

Davis was the President of Idaho State University (1965–1975) and University of New Mexico (1975–1982), 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. He served on the board of directors for Sunrise Bank of Albuquerque starting in 2005.

Later life

Davis was commissioned by CU to write Volume 2 of Glory Colorado! () 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. He had been married to Pollyanne Peterson, who died in 2020; they had four daughters and one son.

Awards and honors

::quote

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|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 |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" ()

References

| title=President of Idaho State University | before=Donald E. Walker | after=Charles Kegel | years=1965–1975 | title=President of University of New Mexico | before=Ferrel Heady | after=John Perovich | years=1975–1982 | title=Chancellor of Louisiana State University | before=E. Grady Bogue | after=William L. Jenkins | years=1989–1996 | title=Democratic Party nominee, United States Senator (Class 2) from Idaho | before=Ralph R. Harding | after=Dwight Jensen | years=1972 (lost)

References

  1. "Former UNM President William "Bud" Davis dies".
  2. Davis, William E. (William Eugene), 1929- entry at [http://authorities.loc.gov/ Library of Congress]
  3. Stahlberg, Mark. (March 13, 1982). "Davis accepts state chancellor's job". Eugene Register-Guard.
  4. Corlett, John. (December 5, 1971). "Bud Davis picking up key supporters". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
  5. Allison Groff. (1999-07-29). "Alum Bud Davis takes on Glory Colorado! Vol. 2". CU.edu.
  6. "CU Distinguished Alumni by Category".
  7. (March 28, 1962). "Alumni leader new Colorado football coach". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
  8. (March 28, 1962). "Davis named grid coach at Colorado". Eugene Register-Guard.
  9. Meakins, Gene. (March 28, 1962). "Colorado coach seeks team support". Deseret News.
  10. "Colorado Football Media Guide".
  11. (November 25, 1962). "Colorado stuns Air Force, 34-10". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
  12. (November 25, 1962). "Davis resignation told following win". Eugene Register-Guard.
  13. (2003-09-18). "Plati-'tudes". CUBuffs.com.
  14. (January 2, 1963). "Crowder signs 5-year Colorado U. grid pact". Deseret News.
  15. (January 4, 1963). "Crowder names 3 assistants". Deseret News.
  16. (August 9, 1972). "McClure, Davis are rival Senate nominees". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
  17. (November 5, 1972). "Bud Davis for Senate". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
  18. (2001-07-10). "Ref Notes Data". University of Toronto Data Library Service.
  19. (November 9, 1972). "Congressional winners heading to D.C. soon". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
  20. "Office of the Clerk: Election statistics". United States House of Representatives.
  21. (March 14, 1982). "Former Idaho State president accepts job in Oregon system". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
  22. "UNMPress Spring 06 Calatlog". UNMPress.com.
  23. Steven A. Marcum. (2005). "2005 Annual Report". CapitalBanCorp.com.
  24. (October 14, 2021). "William 'Bud' Davis, former university leader, dies at 92". [[Times-News (Idaho).
  25. "Davis Field". Idaho State University athletics.

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1929-births2021-deathsamerican-football-halfbackscolorado-buffaloes-football-coachescolorado-buffaloes-football-playerscandidates-in-the-1972-united-states-electionsidaho-democratsleaders-of-louisiana-state-universitypresidents-of-idaho-state-universitypresidents-of-the-university-of-new-mexicouniversity-of-northern-colorado-alumnipeople-from-loveland,-coloradoplayers-of-american-football-from-coloradocoaches-of-american-football-from-coloradounited-states-marines