Renowned University of Pittburgh dean of social work
Larry E. Davis served as the consciousness of a generation, opening doors and inviting discussion about the reality of race relations, civil rights and social justice in America.
Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work from 2001-2018 and founding director of its Center on Race and Social Problems, Mr. Davis was a brilliant scholar who was deeply committed to issues of race, said Pitt Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg.
“Larry taught me many things about race and about life that I didn’t know or didn’t fully appreciate,” said Mr. Nordenberg, who recruited Mr. Davis to Pitt in 2001. “He had a very inviting way of presenting his views; so often when a topic like race comes up, people immediately move to defensive positions and discussion becomes difficult. Larry had a way with people that made them lean forward in their seats, listen, want to learn and think about how they could make things better. That’s a rare gift in my experience.”
Also the author of many essays published over the years in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mr. Davis, of Highland Park, died Tuesday from cancer. He was 74.
His lessons went beyond the classroom, colleagues and friends said.
Years before the Black Lives Matter movement, Mr. Davis advocated for a better understanding between police and the communities they serve, said Pittsburgh police Chief Scott Schubert.
“He’s the type of person you would want to model yourself after,” said Chief Schubert, who got to know Mr. Davis through the police bureau’s work with Pitt as part of the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice, a Department of Justice program aimed at improving police-community relations through research, training and other means.
“I learned a lot from him about looking through the lens of other people,” he said. “He taught me to look from the other person’s perspective and understand, and that has served me well. I had deep respect and admiration for him.”
“Larry was a true leader, a scholar and a gentleman, and I am honored to say he was my friend and mentor,” Mayor Bill Peduto said. “It was his life’s work to make Pittsburgh a better place for all through his research and actions.”
A native of Michigan, Mr. Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University and master’s degrees in social work and psychology from the University of Michigan.
After serving for three years with AmeriCorps VISTA in some of New York City’s poorest neighborhoods, Mr. Davis became the first African American to earn a doctorate degree in social work and psychology at theUniversity of Michigan.
When he decided to take a chance on Pitt in 2001, Mr. Davis held an endowed chair at Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a professor of social work and psychology.
“Larry held what would have been viewed by most as one of the of the most prestigious positions in social work at what was probably the best school of social work in the country,” Mr. Nordenberg recalled. “Coming to Pitt really represented a dramatic change for him. He had never been an administrator, he had never created a center — he must have really seen this as a chance to expand his impact.”
Mr. Davis’ role at Pitt and beyond can hardly be overstated, said current Chancellor Patrick Gallagher.
“Larry was a remarkable leader and scholar. He took on society’s toughest challenges and worked tirelessly to realize a better, fairer world,” he said in a statement. “He leaves us with an enduring legacy that inspires us to do better.”
Under his guidance, the center — and the university — rose to prominence in the national conversation about race and its impacts. The center is now routinely ranked among the top 10 of its kind in the country.
An extensively published researcher and scholar, Mr. Davis founded a journal, “Race and Social Problems,” and he led 2010’s “Race in America” conference, which drew 1,300 researchers and students, along with business, public and community leaders, to the Pitt campus.
His work “profoundly changed,” the university, said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd.
“He was always ahead of a very steep curve — one that we grapple with — but also have great hope for as we look toward the equitable future he worked toward,” she said in a statement.
His impact will be felt beyond the world of academia, colleagues and friends said.
“He knew our potential as a school was greater than we realized, and prophetically, he also knew that this potential had to be realized in order to meet the current and future social challenges of the world,” said Shaun M. Eack, Pitt associate dean for research and professor of psychology and social work. “He pushed us to new heights not only because he knew we could reach it, but also because he knew the world would be relying on us to be at our very best.”
“He was graceful, proud, well-spoken and knew that once we ‘made it’ as Black Americans, it was our obligation to help bring others along with us,” said Valire Carr Copeland, a Pitt social work professor who was appointed by Mr. Davis as doctoral program director and associate dean for academic affairs. “He knew African Americans of character, intelligence, skill, and competence were sometimes overlooked…becauseof their skin color and gender. We had to thinkbeyond ourselves.”
“Dean Larry Davis made Pittsburgh better,” recalled John M. Wallace, Jr., vice provost for faculty diversity and development at Pitt. “Although he was definitely a ‘race’ man, concerned about the advancement of Black people, he had the unique ability to bring all kinds of people together who would have never crossed each other’s paths.” Chief Schubert agreed. “He touched so many people in a positive way,” he said. “He was a great person and you just couldn’t help but admire him as a person and as a human being.”
Mr. Davis is survived by his wife, Kim Armstrong Davis, and three sons, Keanu, Naeem, and Amani.
Visitation is from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at John A. Freyvogel Sons, 4900 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh.
A memorial service will be held there at 10 a.m. Thursday. That service also will be livestreamed, and a second memorial service will be held in the Heinz Memorial Chapel of the University of Pittsburgh at a later date.
The family suggests memorial gifts to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 1 North Linden St., Duquesne, Pa. 15110.