Jerry C. Davis

Jerry Collins Davis (born 1943) is an American education executive currently serving as chancellor of the College of the Ozarks in Branson, Missouri. Davis became highly controversial during his long-time service as President of the College of the Ozarks, with some critics praising his dedication to an alternative model of education, but others severely criticising his dogmatic patriotism. Davis was a member of Donald Trump's 1776 Commission, while College of the Ozarks' patriotism has become an important influence on his 2025 Executive Order 14190. and grew up in Hartwell. He was initially educated at The Mount Berry School for Boys in Mount Berry, before attending the unaccredited church-run Truett McConnell University between 1961 and 1963. Davis then obtained a biology degree from Mars Hill University in 1965, Davis would continue doing work on Blapstinus into the 1980s.

Early career and presidency of Alice Lloyd College After finishing his thesis at Ohio State, Davis immediately accepted a teaching position with Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. By 1973 he had become an associate professor of biology at the college and compiled a lab book, and by 1975 Davis was the college's Vice-President for Development. During the following two years he would move to Tigerville, South Carolina and serve as Vice-President of North Greenville College

In 1977, Davis was appointed president of Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky's Knott County. Davis impressed Alice Lloyd's management with his energy and commitment to traditional values , in addition to his youth. He had believed that college graduates had to become leaders of society without pursuing money. At Alice Lloyd he immediately suspended a quarter of the student body and a number of staff members, citing a "sex and marijuana culture". Davis would also refocus upon recruitment from the Appalachian area and reestablish codes of conduct, besides eliminating the small tuition fee Hayes had introduced, and most critically converting Alice Lloyd to a four-year institution rather than a junior college.

The Ozarks Upon his appointment to School of the Ozarks, Davis carried out similar reforms to those that he had carried out at Alice Lloyd. He first gave students summer work options, reduced news and music programming on the schools' radio station, and reduced the athletic budget by two-ninths. Davis would then abolish faculty governance and tenure in favor of one-year and multi-year contracts, and forbade staff from publicizing their connection to the school without his explicit permission.

Davis' autocratic leadership at the renamed College of the Ozarks was controversial and there were calls for him to be fired during the 1990s, At the same time Davis began a long period of increasing endowments for the school, whilst distancing the institution further from government influence.

Honors "Icon of Education", Ingram's Magazine (February 2014) "Man of the Year", Springfield Business Journal (2016)

Personal life Davis married Shirley, a registered nurse, during his education and had three children with Shirley. He has remained married after over half a century.