Lasting Legacy

Louise Davis left positive mark on state’s children

Story by Bonnie Coblentz | Photo submitted

Approximately one year has passed since the children of Mississippi and those who educate and care for them lost an advocate and champion when Dr. Louise Davis died July 10, 2024.

Davis was a 29-year veteran of the Mississippi State University Extension Service. There, she was an Extension child and family development specialist, a role she took to great professional lengths.

By the end of her career, she was executive director of MSU Extension’s Nurturing Homes Initiative and Head Start-Early Head Start Programs. She also led the Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral Centers, now known as the Mississippi LIFT Resource and Referral Network.

“Her work reached statewide—providing resources, training, and referral services to help ensure that Mississippi’s children have equal access to learning materials and are being cared for in quality settings by knowledgeable and well-equipped providers,” explains Jamila Taylor, now executive director of MSU Extension’s Mississippi LIFT Resource and Referral Network, Nurturing Homes Initiative, and Head Start-Early Head Start Programs.

“She was responsible for the training and technical assistance available to early care and education providers, directors, and administrators to enhance the quality of care in early childhood,” she continues. “Dr. Davis also was responsible for creating the training that was offered to families to promote developmentally appropriate parenting practices.”

Creola James, the project coordinator of Mississippi LIFT Resource and Referral at MSU Extension’s Willie Lock Community Center in Gulfport, speaks of the passion Davis had for working with families, children, and educators.

“Dr. Davis interacted with children and families when she visited Willie Lock, and she loved reading books to children when she visited,” James remembers. “She wanted to help parents learn the best ways to interact with and teach their children all these foundational skills that will help them succeed later.”

Originally from Crawford, Mississippi, Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the Mississippi University for Women, followed by a master’s degree in elementary education, and a doctorate in elementary education and early childhood education and leadership, both at MSU.

Before coming to work in MSU Extension in 1995, Davis worked at Prentiss County Schools, Neshoba County Schools, East Mississippi Community College, Columbus City Schools, MUW, and, the University of Mississippi.

Linda Southward, director of the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi, met Davis early in her career before Davis worked at MSU. Southward and her family moved to MSU faculty housing and found themselves living across the street from Davis and her husband, Ed Davis.

 “It did not take long to know that Louise was genuinely interested in knowing and welcoming us, and that she was someone who clearly had a great understanding of children’s needs.”

Southward says her first memory of Davis involved children. Later she realized the friendship and collegiality she and Davis shared was about “all the children,” not just their own.

“While Louise dedicated her life to her faith, family, and her friends, all of it was underscored by what is best for all children, particularly Mississippi’s children,” Southward says. “This was demonstrated by her teaching, her service, her research, and her advocacy in promoting quality early care and education in Mississippi and being a model to others across the nation and training a generation of early childhood professionals.”

Keith Coble, vice president of the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, says Davis’ work always focused on children. At MSU, she concentrated on the impact she could have on improving access to quality childcare in Mississippi.

“Dr. Davis fought for the vulnerable, the voiceless, the innocent, and the pure in heart—the children of the state of Mississippi,” Coble says. “She stood in the gap for the children of our state, particularly the marginalized, and made it her life’s work to serve them.”

While much of what Davis accomplished in her life cannot be quantified, some aspects can.

During her tenure at MSU, she was one of the most prolific grant writers and was awarded a total of more than $164 million during that time. Of that total, more than $67 million currently funds projects around the state.

“These grant funds have facilitated services, training, and technical assistance to more than 11,000 early care and education providers across the state,” Taylor says. “The result has been more than 94,000 children served with quality childcare.”