Dr. Hilda Davis earned her BA from Howard University (1925), her MA from Radcliffe College (1931). She was the first African-American woman to earn her PhD from the University of Chicago (1953), which was one of the many barriers she would break during her illustrious career.

Before joining the faculty at the University of Delaware, Dr. Davis held various teaching positions in North Carolina, Alabama, and New York. From 1936-1952, she served as the Dean of Women at Talladega College, Talladega, Alabama. Davis made a significant contribution in the field of mental health in the State of Delaware as director of research at the Governor Bacon Health Center and as chief of the medical records division at the Delaware State Hospital. In 1965, she accepted an appointment as a lecturer in the Department of English, thus making her the first African-American woman to hold a full time contract as a member of the University of Delaware faculty.

While at the University, Dr. Davis was instrumental in establishing and directing the Writing Center. She served on various UD committees, ranging in focus from racial diversity to educational standards. She was also appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to a commission established to study the needs of African-American women; by President Richard M. Nixon to the Commission on School Finance; and by Delaware Governor J. Caleb Boggs to a White House Conference on Education.

Dr. Davis retired from the University in 1970, but continued to teach at Wilmington College until 1977. In 1986, she was awarded the University of Delaware Medal of Distinction and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women.

More about Hilda Davis:

Beneath Thy Guiding Hand: A History of Women at the University of Delaware by Carol E. Hoffecker

Faculty Emeriti