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 rofessor Doris Davis, who has taught generations of home economics students at the
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point the past 25 years, retired Friday. A specialist in foods and nutrition, she
is the senior member of the home economics faculty and has seen its number grow from three to nearly 20 since her
arrival on campus in 1952. Professionally, she serves as coordinator of the university's food and nutrition program
area, adviser to the home economics club and a member of several associations. She is a former faculty treasurer and
Stevens Point delegate for The Association of University of Wisconsin Faculties. A native of Shipshewana, Ind.,
she grew up there and in Montana and the two Dakotas in communities where her father taught. Her mother, all of
her brothers and sisters and many of her 15 nieces and nephews became teachers. She had intended to pursue the study
of mathematics after graduating from high school at age 15, but that summer she had 14 entries of baked and canned
goods, leather work and sewing in a fair and won 10 firsts and four seconds. "Everyone told me I should go into home
ec, so I did," she said. She whizzed through Indiana University in three years, graduating when she was 19, and later
earned a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She did additional graduate study at New York
University, Iowa State and Purdue. Since she took her first teaching job in 1935, she's spent 38 years in education.
She also was a hospital and Army dietician for two years in the State of Washington. She laughs about an incident at
UW-SP when she was a new faculty member and Registrar Gilbert Faust visited her office to explain the tenure system.
"Oh, I'm not interested in that-I only stay at one place four years at the most," she replied. Faust continues to ask
her today when her four years are up. Typically, she's a home economist who loves to cook and bake. But she laments
the fact that activity appears to be declining as a shared experience between mothers and daughters. She suspects
that's because more mothers are working, high schools demand more time of young people in extra curricular activities
and more prep students are holding down part-time jobs. Miss Davis' interests are far reaching (she once quit a
teaching job to go to New York for the fun of having short stints in such jobs as filling station attendant, elevator
operator and store clerk, and she was able to get in some of her planned "14 jobs before Christmas" within a few
months.) In retirement she plans to fish, bike, travel, play bridge, sew, embroider, picnic, and do puzzles. And a
number one priority is to see the Chicago Cubs in spring practice next year at Scottsdale, Ariz. Miss Davis will
continue part-time residence here at 1416 Illinois Ave. Meanwhile, Miss Davis will also join the ranks of those long
serving members of the UW-SP faculty who have been given the designation of professor emeritus.
*1977
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