JOHN KOVACH | Colleges Enshrinement awaits Davis

Harold Davis was fortunate to have quality people influence him throughout his life growing up in Youngstown and attending North High and Westminster College.
That support from key people, plus his own talent and determination to succeed, were the main reasons that he went on to athletic and academic prominence at North High and Westminster, and to success in the business world as a marketing executive for the Xerox Corporation, and in life.
And those also are the prime reasons that he will be one of nine individuals inducted into the 2004 Divisional Hall of Fame Class of the College Football Hall of Fame Aug. 13-14, during Enshrinement Ceremonies at the Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.
Davis, now 70 and retired from Xerox who lives in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., was a standout quarterback for Westminster for four years (1953-56) under coach Dr. Harold Burry.
28-1
Davis led the Titans to a four-year record of 28-1, including the first three undefeated seasons in school history in 1953 (8-0), 1955 (6-0-1) and 1956 (8-0).
In the process, he became the first and only three-time (1954-56) first team All-American in school history.
Now president of H & amp;S Consulting, Davis said his turnabout began when he was at North Junior High, thanks to Harold Luxon, a visiting teacher, truant officer and basketball coach at North Junior High; and Harold's father, Emmanuel Davis, a steelworker.
Emmanuel worked for the Youngstown Sheet & amp; Tube Co. for 30 years at the Struthers Rod and Wire division.
Luxon intervened
"I was a very active young person and my energies were not directed in the right way, and [Harold Luxon] caught me one day skipping school at McKelvey Lake fishing," recalled Davis. "And he took me home and told my parents [his stepmother was Lulu] to get me involved in something or else I was going to get in serious trouble."
Davis said Luxon and his parents steered him to the North Junior High basketball team that practiced in the mornings before school at the old Scienceville North High School.
"It was punishment for me [at first] but I had a little success, but [Luxon] said that if I wanted to play that I had to get out of trouble and to get my school work down. He set me in the right direction as far as athletics and academics," said Davis.
Davis also credited Jack Cramb, his football coach at North High for three years, for having a positive effect on him.
"Jack was a great competitor," said Davis, noting that Cramb played football for coach Dike Beede at Youngstown College. "I remember him as being an innovator-type [coach]."
Davis said Cramb tried different offenses. "We were running the wing-T and single wing. He went to a coaching clinic and he wanted to learn about the split-T that Oklahoma was running. And he came back and installed it in our offense my senior year.
"He was a good kicker and he taught me how to punt. He was not afraid to try new things. And he was a great guy."
Burry like second father
Davis' No. 1 man at Westminster was Burry, who was like a second father to him.
"Outside of my father, Coach Burry probably was the second-most influential person in my life," Davis said. "We had a relationship that was more than just player and coach. It kind of developed into a father-son relationship, and I say this reluctantly because my teammates used to kid me and call me Jr. because [Dr. Burry] and I had the same first name."
Davis also remembered that his economics professor at Westminster, Sam Sloan, had a profound effect on his life.
"He was my major adviser. I majored in economics and I had a few of his classes," recalled Davis. "He was a very down-to-earth person and the things he taught us were real practical and not just a lot of theory. He spent a lot of time with us. He liked sports [just liked we did]. He was a man's man."
Davis will be accompanied to the induction ceremonies by his family -- wife Shirley, sons H. Wade and Michael, and grandsons Brandon, Jared and Tyler.
Davis still has family in Youngstown, including brother Frank Davis, a retired Chaney High teacher, and sister, Ann White.
kovach@vindy.com