Ferrum, VA, January 15, 2026 — Richard Davis ’75, who returned to the Ferrum College campus in October 2025 for the Class of 1975 reunion and induction into the Golden Panthers, has been recognized in the Educators’ Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University for his career that culminated in several decades of teaching and coaching deaf students.
After graduating from Franklin County High School and then from Ferrum Junior College in 1975 with an associate of science degree in health and physical education, Davis completed a bachelor of science degree in education at Lincoln Memorial University. He later earned master of science degrees in both special education and safety from The University of Tennessee. At Lincoln Memorial, he received an Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, which honors college students and community members across the South “of noble character who put service above self.”
Davis taught and coached basketball for eighth graders and then high school students before moving to the Tennessee School for the Deaf, where he served for over 33 years. Throughout his career he coached a number of championship teams in both men’s and women’s basketball, and he was named to the Tennessee School for the Deaf Alumni Association’s Coaching Hall of Fame in 2025. He headed a basketball tournament called the Mason Dixon Deaf Conference for ten years until 2024.
The Lincoln Memorial Educators’ Hall of Fame notes that Davis “instilled a love of learning for both academics and sports. He advocated for the hearing impaired while also mentoring to fellow teachers, encouraging them to do their best for the students.” He received a Distinguished Service Award from the College of Human Ecology at The University of Tennessee in 1998.
At Tennessee School for the Deaf, Davis taught health and physical education as well as coaching basketball and assisting with football and other individualized and group student services. He organized The Bridges program that he led for nineteen years, making it the first school for the deaf to use this program. It is a Structure of Intellect program serving individuals who need to strengthen their learning ability and capability. Davis was recognized for adapting the program creatively to assist the hearing impaired. He also created a monthly newsletter for other schools for the deaf that he called “The Silent Bridge.”
Davis is known for his lifelong commitment to sharing wisdom about life as well as sports and education. While his motivational mantras such as “it’s only a game” became famous among his students and colleagues, he has reflected deeply on the value of fun combined with hard work and teamwork—on the many ways that the game truly is important for developing pride, identity, discipline, resilience, and balanced perspectives on success in all facets of life. In the yearbook photo of Ferrum Junior College’s 1974-75 basketball team, Davis is on the left in the back. From that day to his recent induction into the Golden Panthers, he has exemplified Ferrum’s motto, “Not Self, But Others.”
Davis also taught recreational safety at The University of Tennessee from 1999 to 2009. He lives in Seymour, Tennessee with his wife Charis.
Ferrum College President Mirta Martin said, “Richard Davis ’75 embodies the very best of Ferrum College. His passion for teaching, coaching, and advocating for the hearing impaired has inspired generations of students and educators. Through his creativity, dedication, and unwavering commitment to service, Richard has left a profound mark on every life he has touched. We are proud to honor his remarkable achievements and lasting legacy.”
In the group photo of Golden Panthers at Homecoming, left to right: George Yancey ’67, Bonnie L. Huffman ’75, Darrell Huffman ’74, Richard Davis ’75, Charis Davis, Keith Fisher ’68.
Click here for Lincoln Memorial University’s Hall of Fame page on Richard Davis.
Click here for photos from Homecoming 2025 at Ferrum College, including Golden Panther events.
