Retired Professor of Psychology
March 6, 1936 – July 9, 2015
Passed by the IUPUI Faculty Council at their meeting on December 1, 2015.
Robert Madary Davis, Retired Professor of Psychology, passed away on July 9, 2015. He will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues. Bob was born in Pocomoke, Maryland and grew up there. He always cherished his Maryland roots. Bob was one of four sons of Sarah Madary Davis and Clayton Davis. He loved his family immensely and is survived by his two daughters, four grandchildren and his long-time partner, Joyce Sommers.
Bob’s early education and career were centered in Maryland and Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree in education from Maryland State Teachers College at Salisbury (now Salisbury University) in 1958. He then taught in Baltimore County Schools for two years. Next, he earned a master’s in counseling from The Pennsylvania State University as preparation for working three years as a vocational rehabilitation counselor in a Pennsylvania hospital. Building on this, Bob enrolled in the doctoral counseling program at the University of Maryland and earned his Ed.D. in 1968. One year later, he was hired onto the faculty at Penn State as an assistant professor. He stayed at Penn State for seven years, serving three years as an associate professor and coordinator of the Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Counselor Education.
Bob left Penn State to join IUPUI in 1976. He was hired as an associate professor in the psychology department of the Purdue School of Science to lead its fledgling M.S. program in rehabilitation psychology. Under Bob’s leadership, the program grew and flourished. In 1981, he was one of the faculty who helped get a new doctoral program in rehabilitation psychology approved, and it became the first Ph.D. program at IUPUI outside of the School of Medicine. This program eventually evolved into a doctoral program in clinical psychology and is still thriving today.
Bob was a faculty member within the psychology department for 24 years and retired at the rank of professor in 2000. He remained director of the master’s rehabilitation program until 1992. Over the last eight years of his faculty career, Bob turned much of his attention on undergraduates and tried to find ways to make their college experience more successful. His efforts included chairing the Committee on the First-Year Experience.
Over his career, Bob became one of the leaders in the field of rehabilitation. He served as president for professional associations in rehab at the state level (Indiana Rehabilitation Association), regional level (Great Lakes Region, National Rehabilitation Association) and national level (Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Association). He also sat on several national rehabilitation boards of directors or governors, each aimed at providing services and improving the lives of people through counseling and/or job training.
After retirement, Bob stayed active in the Indianapolis community. He enjoyed memberships in the Literary Club, Shriners, Scottish Rite, and Indiana Society. He also did volunteer work at the Indianapolis Art Center and was a greeter at the Indianapolis International Airport.
Bob is remembered as a good and gentle man, a humanitarian. He displayed remarkable kindness and loyalty to those around him. One friend said that Bob seemed to measure his life’s accomplishments by the depth and quality of his relationships with others. He had a great laugh and a droll sense of humor. He was not beyond showing a devilish wit when faced with some nonsense in academics or life in general. His voice was a wonderfully-resonate deep base that drew people to him by its richness and warmth.
Bob had a zest for life. He would say that traveling by small riverboats with Joyce in France, Switzerland, Germany and Europe was “especially joyful.” Some of his other likes, loves and passions included: listening to jazz and classical music, reminiscing about the Eastern Shore, following Baltimore Oriole and Indianapolis Indians baseball, gardening, visiting the Red Key, appreciating long periods of silence, cooking for friends, crafting or finding good limericks, getting to know Nebraska, hosting dinner parties, reading, learning about religions, and celebrating Groundhog’s Day!
THUS, BE IT RESOLVED, that this memorial resolution be placed in the minutes of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Faculty Council with a moment of silence observed in honor of Dr. Davis.
This resolution is written on behalf of Dr. Davis’ colleagues, friends and family and will be shared broadly with them.
Prepared by John T. Hazer, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, School of Science.