Retired Mississippi College Professor Charles "Puddin" Davis Dies

A star athlete who earned 13 athletic letters at Mississippi College in the 1950s, Charles “Puddin” Davis proved he was equally extraordinary off the field as a devoted Bible professor for nearly three decades at his alma mater.

An inspiring MC professor who taught hundreds of students over his 28-year tenure, and a passionate supporter of the Christian university, the 74-year-old Clinton resident died of congestive heart failure Thursday at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland, family members say.

Members of the MC family described him as one of the greatest athletes in MC sports history who never missed an occasion to help students as a faculty member.

As a Christian Studies professor on the Clinton campus, “there was no telling how many hours he put in helping athletes pass and play sports,” said longtime friend Paul H. Oliver, a Texas businessman and former MC classmate who’s a member of the M Club.

Oliver, 75, visited with Davis in Mississippi last week and “prayed the last two nights that the Lord would bring him on home.”

A 240-pound tackle who earned All-American honors as a football star at Grenada High, Davis was also superb at other sports – from track to tennis to basketball – and he played them all at Mississippi College. His letters included four for playing football for the Choctaws, four in tennis and one in basketball. He earned others on the Choctaws track team.

Davis would toss the shot put for the MC track team under the hot sun in Central Mississippi and play his tennis matches the same afternoon.

Davis and Oliver first became friends in the early 1950s as 9^th graders. They began building a friendship after Davis whipped Oliver, then a student at Senatobia High, in a tennis match. His high lobs, drop shots and swift serves were too much to handle for Oliver and for many other tennis foes.

One of the players in the All-American high school football game in Memphis during his senior year, Davis was blitzed with college scholarship offers before he finished up at Grenada High in 1953. “There were 21 universities who tried to get him, including Ole Miss,” Oliver said. But the Lord led his friend to Baptist-affiliated Mississippi College, he recalled.

Going to seminary and serving the Lord was also what drew him to a career in the academic world rather than considering the idea of playing pro football.

In more recent years, Davis has won kudos for his teaching performances at MC.

Davis “was a beloved professor and good friend and colleague to all who knew and worked with him,” said Ron Howard, vice president for academic affairs who joined the Mississippi College faculty in 1977. “His great and good spirit and remarkable intellect enriched the lives of all his students and colleagues.”

Howard noted that Davis was remarkable as a faithful servant of God. He was “a man of great faith, deep understanding and warm generosity. Charles was truly one of a kind…Mississippi College is heart-broken at his passing.”

Described by friends as a great family man, the former Mr. MC was married to his college sweetheart, Nancy Nielsen Davis, who later served as president of the Mississippi College Alumni Association. Nancy and Charles Davis regularly attended MC events whether it was over Homecoming weekend in the fall or year-round. They were often seen warmly greeting guests at 50-Year Club reunions at the Latimer House.

The passing of “Puddin” Davis is a “sad day for Mississippi College and MC athletics,” says university athletic director Mike Jones. The Mississippi College family, he said, lost an excellent teacher, a great supporter and loyal friend of the university.

Faculty members with the Department of Christian Studies say the university mourns the passing of a dear friend and cherished colleague. Charles Davis “was both a Christian gentleman and a gentle giant who could beat most anybody on the tennis court,” professor Roger Greene says. Memories of Dr. Davis, he said, “will bring a smile to my face for years to come.”

Survivors include his wife, Nancy and his sister, Dr. Polly Davis, both of Clinton, his daughter, Dana Davis Morris, her husband, Jeff Morris and their three children, Taylor, Brooke and Evan Morris, all of Houston, Texas.

Visitation will be at Lakewood Memorial in Clinton from 5-8 p.m. Sunday with the funeral service at 10 a.m. Monday at First Baptist Church Clinton.

A Charles “Puddin” Davis Scholarship Fund established a few years ago continues to issue awards to MC students who excel in academics and serve as Christian leaders on the Clinton campus. Donations can be made to the fund at the Mississippi College Office of Advancement, Box 4005, Clinton, Mississippi 39058.