Bing davis PHOTO COURTESY OF DAYTON DAILY NEWS
Willis H. Davis, a ’59 alumnus and the first African-American professor at DePauw, was recently featured as a cultural hero in his hometown’s newspaper, the Dayton Daily News, for his active participation in the community through his art studio.
Davis--more often referred to as “Bing”--taught art from 1970-76. He originally arrived at DePauw as a student after being taken under the wing of then-DePauw coach Dean Dooley. Bing met Dooley when he was just 12 years old. When Bing graduated from Wilbur Wright High School in 1955, Dooley brought him to DePauw on his own dime.
“Dooley was not only my track and basketball coach,” Bing said. “He was a father figure to me and we were close friends until the day he died.”
When Bing arrived on campus as a first-year, he was one of only two African-American students in his class. The other African-American student was a female. At this time, there were less than 10 African-American students on DePauw’s campus.
“The DePauw experience for me was different than most,” Bing said. “The African-American community, no matter how small, at DePauw and in the city of Greencastle nurtured me and encouraged me to do what I do today.”
Bing also found solace in his study of art history, which would lead to the artistic influence in his future endeavors. After graduating from DePauw, Bing continued to learn about art from different cultures.
“One of the most important things I learned from DePauw was lifelong learning," he said. "I was able to take my education upon myself and gained a much deeper insight of art because of it.”
Bing realized after these years of learning about cultural art that it is almost entirely about the people behind it. This revelation changed his life and his teaching, a profession he was inspired by Dooley to pursue.
“Art became a vehicle and the students I taught became the most important part of the art.”
Upon his return to DePauw as the first African-American professor of the university, Bing taught African-American art, a curriculum that had not been offered when he was a student there.
“A lot of students I teach are surprised when I tell them I was an athlete in college. They don’t see the connection between sports and art,” Bing said. “When you’re out there shooting baskets in the summertime, you are simply making yourself better. You are refining your skill and you learn that you get out what you put in. ...I do the same thing in the art studio. There is a direct correlation.”
Reflecting on the current state of DePauw under a departing President Casey, Bing said, “I love DePauw, and I especially love how it has become more diverse and more inclusive. That was one of my goals and dreams for DePauw, which is why I tried so hard to lay a foundation for this growth.”
Bing believes that DePauw is on the road to greatness when it comes to diversity. He hopes that students won’t forget where DePauw began and how far it has come since he arrived on campus in 1955.