Morrey Davis is a well-known teacher here at Brevard High for three years. He taught English for two years and has now stepped in to teach ninth-grade world history, 11th-grade American history and 12th- grade economics.

Throughout his amazing career, he has a story to tell. Davis was born in Gastonia and lived there until he was 4 years old, when he moved to Zambia in Africa with his missionary parents. Davis also grew up with a sister two-and-a-half years younger than him. He stayed in Zambia until he began middle school here in Brevard.

Davis says that living in Zambia was “very different from here. It was a new country at the time, and it was also communist. It was just very different.” 

As a child, Davis says, “I think I was actually very nice.” He explains how he was a pretty well-behaved and well-mannered kid.

“My dad said I was a very nice child and he says he doesn’t know what happened to me!” he said.

Davis also says he did well in school. As a child, “I imagined I was gonna be a lawyer for a while. I guess it wasn’t meant to be,” he said.

After graduating from Brevard High, Davis went to college on a full-ride music scholarship to play the French horn at Barry College in Georgia. “I did not like being a music major, it was way too much work. All I did was practice, and it was not fun.”

He says he did it for two years before he quit, lost his scholarship and transferred to Houghton College in New York to major in history.

In between that time, he had wanted to become a carpenter. But, he says, “my mom got very upset with me. She wanted me to finish college. So I did.”

After Davis graduated from Houghton, he got married and was a slate and metal roofer in Richmond, Va. for three years. He says he worked on many old, historical reservations. 

Next, Davis attended graduate school in New Jersey at Drew University. He later moved to Indiana, where his wife got a job teaching at a college and he finished his PhD.

He moved back to New Jersey, where Davis was hired to teach history at Drew University. Seventeen years later, he moved back to Brevard. “My parents still lived here, so I came back to help take care of them. I also loved the area.” 

When he first moved back to Brevard, he had a job as a carpenter. He says he worked building houses for about two years before he got a job teaching at Brevard High. 

He taught two years of English, and started teaching history this school year. Davis says that he likes teaching both English and history and is happy to do either. 

When asked about his favorite thing about teaching at BHS, Davis says, “the great coworkers and great kids.” He says “I have so many good colleagues and good people I work with. And I love getting to know all the kids in the county. It’s great.”

Davis also says, “I like teaching high school. It’s like teaching ‘almost adults.’ It’s nice to watch people figure out who they’re gonna be.”

In his free time, Davis enjoys mountain biking, building, writing and spending time outside. He says he is currently working on a book – he always has some project going on.

“Either building something or making something,” he added. “I have a 1969 Ford F100 that I am currently working on restoring.”

Davis doesn’t have any retirement plans as of now, but he “can’t imagine not working. I will always do something.” Davis also touched on his side-business of woodworking, saying that after he’s done teaching, he might continue with that. 

“Among lots of us students, Mr. Davis is known as one of our favorites,” said junior Emma English, who had Davis as an English teacher during her freshman year.

“He’s always making class fun. He’s easygoing and fun to be around.”

By Olivia Hankey