Colleagues honor Davies at gathering

He was struck by lightning. He climbed the Matterhorn. He climbed a flagpole. In the past three decades, Molecular Biology Professor Emeritus Robert Davies has made his mark on the University. After last night, that mark will be permanent. A group of colleagues at the Veterinary School unveiled a portrait of Davies last night in the rare book room of Van Pelt Library. The portrait will be hung in the Biochemistry wing of the Vet School. Biochemistry Professor Emeritus Adelaide Delluva chaired a committee that collected money to commission the portrait. It was done by local artist Mary Whyte, who has also done portraits of other former professors. The portrait shows Davies outside, dressed for mountain climbing, one of his favorite sports. And out of all the portraits at the University, he proudly boasted, "I'm the only man without a tie." But Davies has never been traditional. After coming to the University as a professor in the Medical School, Davies transferred to the Vet School in 1962. Since then he has chaired committees on the Faculty Senate and become a Benjamin Franklin professor, a fellow of the Royal Society, an honorary member New York Academy of Science, won a Lindback award, chaired the Faculty Senate, and now possesses a 38-page curriculum vitae. But Davies has been more than an academician at the University. Faculty and friends lauded the professor last night for being "the champion of the underdog." "He stood up when it was dangerous to stand up," said Rick Conrad, Davies' stepson. "He's always been the first to represent the rights of people who really needed it, even if it put his career at risk." "He's always fighting for a cause," said Elaine Powell, of the New Bolton Center. "He doesn't care how big the system is. He just loves to take on a system." Davies is also an avid sportsman. He has climbed the Matterhorn, Mount Fuji and the Grand Tetons -- where he was struck by lightning -- in addition to being an accomplished white-water rafter. Bernard Shapiro, the head of the Biochemistry Laboratories who spoke to the gathering before the portrait was unveiled, said that it would be difficult to describe all the things Davies had done. "I couldn't do justice to all of his accomplishments," Shapiro said. "Certainly not as much justice as Bob could have done to all of his accomplishments." Shapiro also proposed an epitaph for Davies. "Here lies Robert E. Davies, under the only stone he ever left unturned." One of the most famous stories surrounding Davies deals with a certain flagpole in front of College Hall. According to Helen Davies, his wife and a Microbiology professor, during a protest over Vietnam in the sixties, students wanted to fly the flag at half mast. A debate ensued across the University over the status of the flag. Then one night, students cut the ropes that held the flag, and greased the pole. But the governor at the time had already taken a stand on the issue, and threatened the University if the flag was not flown. "[The governor] said 'The flag must fly' or the University wasn't going to get their money," Helen Davies said. "Imagine, the police call at three in the morning and want Bob to climb a pole," she said. "So Bob went to his book of knots to find the proper knot to climb a flagpole. He took some sandwiches and some warm clothes. . . and he climbed the pole. It took three hours." Students who were at the gathering lauded Davies for his devotion and warmth. "Every time you're studying in the study rooms he'd come by with a big bag of candy and say 'Have a piece of candy. Take some candy and relax,' " said Nancy Katz, a third year Vet student. But the thing they remembered most about Davies was his ties. It seems he has a large collection of ties, and he always matches the design on his tie to the subject of his lecture. Perhaps the tie he wore last night summed it up the best. The tie reads, "non illegitimum carborundum." Davies translated it as "never let the bastards tie you down."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.