Sam H. Davis Jr. ’52 ’53, a professor emeritus of chemical engineering and former director of the Office of Continuing Studies, died on Christmas Day at age 92. A celebration of his life is tentatively planned for Saturday, March 25, at Rice’s Anderson-Clarke Center.
Beyond the classroom, Davis was active in student life. He served as an associate for Sid Richardson and Jones colleges as well as an interim magister for Jones.
"We are grateful for Sam's deep commitment to and extensive influence on the university, particularly the chemical engineering department and what is now the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and a professor of finance and economics. “Beyond his professional contributions, I appreciate the care that Sam demonstrated for students in his involvement with the college system. Our thoughts are with his family, especially his wife Priscilla Huston, who has likewise given much of her own time and talent to the Rice community."
He is fondly remembered by the faculty and staff of the George R. Brown School of Engineering, where he taught for more than four decades, beginning in 1957 after earning his doctoral degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and working briefly for General Electric.
“Sam had recently retired, and I inherited his CHBE 301 class in 2006,” said Sibani Lisa Biswal, the school’s associate dean for faculty development. “With a smile, he wished me luck as he handed me a box with Fortran codes printed out on transparencies. As the first chemical engineering class (in the program), I could see how much he cared about giving students the fundamentals to succeed.”
“I would later see Sam at faculty gatherings where I heard how he enjoyed being a snowbird, spending summers in New England and winters in Houston,” she continued. “He always spoke fondly of his time at Rice.”
Davis impacted Rice not only through his teaching but also through his dedication to continual learning. He directed the Office of Continuing Studies from 1969-1973 and laid the groundwork for the school’s growth.
“Mr. Davis shepherded what was then the Office of Continuing Studies in its most critical formative years,” said Robert Bruce, dean of the Glasscock School. “When he took over leadership in the fall of 1969, the value of continuing studies was a topic of some debate among Rice administration, but Mr. Davis and his colleague William E. Gordon, dean of engineering, successfully advocated for the value of continuing studies to Rice, its faculty and to the Houston community.”
Davis expanded the office’s programming, adding courses in risk analysis, banking management, project management and operations. During his tenure, reviews of continuing studies courses were routinely exceptional as students touted the virtues of their Rice experience.
When he stepped down from the office in 1973, the school served approximately 175 students per year. Today, from the foundation Davis helped build, the Glasscock School serves more than 18,000 students annually.
Davis was preceded in death by his parents, Irene and Sam Davis Sr., and his sister Joanne Davis. He is survived by Priscilla Huston, his wife of 38 years, and their five children — Merrill Davis, Lindell Kottcamp, Allison Marshall, Katherine Lambert and Penn Huston — and 10 grandchildren.