Thousands of bankers in North Carolina know who Harry Davis is. He is not only a professor of finance but the longest-serving faculty member in the Walker College of Business, starting his 47th year in September. 

“I’m certainly old enough to have retired 10 years ago, but I just keep teaching. I love this job. I’m very much connected to the banking industry in North Carolina,” Davis said. 

Davis said there are three reasons he has stayed at App State for 47 years: “First, the opportunities that ASU have given me made this an incredible experience. The people I work for and with are number two, and number three is Boone, this environment.”  

Davis helped start 27 banks in North Carolina and was inducted into the North Carolina Bankers Association Hall of Fame on Sept. 30. He said all of his accomplishments came about because the Walker College of Business was taking off right as he got here.

During the 1976-77 academic year, Davis started out in the Department of Accounting. Three years later, the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance was formed and he became the chair of the department. 

“In addition, I applied for the NCBA professorship of banking and I got that job too,” Davis said. “So all of these things just came open, the department just got here.”

Davis said being the NCBA professor of banking has been the greatest thing he could have possibly achieved in his career “because of all the doors it’s opened for me and all the places I’ve been able to go and the people I have met.” 

Five people who came out of Davis’ classes became bank presidents.

“I can’t walk anywhere in Boone or North Carolina without running into a former student,” Davis said.

Dean of the Walker College of Business Sandra Vannoy is one of Davis’ former students, and she wrote in an email that if you’re a student who does not know him but are considering taking his class, you will learn a lot. 

“I can say that from personal experience,” Vannoy wrote.

He currently teaches commercial bank management and finance classes in the graduate Master of Business Administration program.

“I, as an MBA student here at App State, took Dr. Davis’ commercial bank management class,” Vannoy wrote. “He brought real-world applications of the material he covered to his class, making the learning experience truly meaningful.” 

One reason Davis has remained at App State for 47 years is because of the great bosses he has had. He said if you don’t like your boss, it’s hard to enjoy your job, so he feels very fortunate. 

“Ken Peacock and I were the best of friends. Heather Norris and I are great friends, Sandy Vannoy, too,” Davis said. 

Davis was the finance department chair for 17 years. 

“Ken Peacock and I had a great time working together. That’s why I stayed at the job so long: friendship,” Davis said. 

According to the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance, Davis has served as a consultant for numerous start-up banks in North Carolina. 

He was a part of a group that helped start the High Country Bank. After five years, they were acquired by Yadkin Valley Bank. Davis served on its board of directors for over 20 years.

Davis is the dean of the North Carolina School of Banking. They moved the school to Boone for the first time at the end of July. The school was previously held in Chapel Hill and Durham and is the oldest state-supported banking school in the United States. Davis said bringing the school to Boone is one of his major accomplishments.

Davis said next year, there will be a search to hire someone to be the Harry M. Davis Professor of Banking, a million-dollar endowed professorship. The professorship is aimed to preserve and build upon Davis’ lifetime of work and achievements during his long tenure at App State.

According to a message from the chairman of the NC Bankers Association, the Harry M. Davis Professorship will allow the Walker College of Business to attract and retain talent to teach, conduct research and perform service in the field of banking and finance.

Vannoy said beyond being helpful, personable and intelligent, Davis is a great teacher. 

“Dr. Davis has nearly four decades of service to North Carolina’s banking industry, and he uses that experience to ensure that our banking curriculum is relevant and reflective of industry needs,” Vannoy wrote. 

Davis’ educational journey took place across three states. He grew up in Statesville and attended UNC-Chapel Hill for his bachelor’s in economics. He then got his master’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University. He then went to the University of Georgia to earn a doctorate in finance. 

 During his App State tenure, Davis said he has witnessed many changes. 

“When I started teaching, I used a chalkboard all the time. There were no computers or screens,” Davis said. “Now, all of my presentations are on PowerPoint. I can’t see very well, so technology has actually been good to me.”

Another change Davis has witnessed was the establishment of Peacock Hall, which opened in 1990, 14 years after he started at App State. When Davis first came to App State, his office was in Walker Hall because Peacock Hall didn’t exist. Today, Peacock Hall is undergoing renovations that are expected to extend the life of the building by 30 to 50 years, according to campus construction updates.

When Davis first arrived, he got the sense of a quaint mountain town and a small, welcoming campus. He said he has seen many changes in Boone and on campus since he moved here in 1976. 

“Over the years, we have beautified the campus,” Davis said.

As the North Carolina Bankers Association economist, Davis compiles quarterly economic forecasts for various news outlets. 

“If you look at the occupancy and sales tax, it’s exploding. Tourism is growing like crazy,” Davis said. “I look at the numbers every quarter, and all of these hotels we’ve built are always full.” 

Davis initially came to App State because he loves the mountains and rivers, hiking and outdoor activities. 

“So that’s really why I came here, was as much for the environment as anything else,” Davis said. 

Reflecting on his 47th year at App State, Davis said he feels thankful. 

“I have observed a lot of change and I don’t have any complaints,” Davis said.