Percival Davis
Encyclopedia
See also Clifford Grey
, whose real name was Percival Davis.
Percival William Davis, also known as Bill Davis, is an American author, young earth creationist
, and intelligent design
proponent.
from DePauw University
, in 1961 master of arts in zoology from Columbia University
, Masters degrees from Columbia University and the University of South Florida
, and completed a PhD in 1993 from the University of South Florida
in Instructional Design. Beginning in 1968, Davis has been a professor of Life Science at Hillsborough Community College
in Tampa, Florida
. Since 2006 he has been a visiting professor of biology at Clearwater Christian College
.
" came into general usage following the publishing of a 1989 book called Of Pandas and People
co-authored by Davis and Dean H. Kenyon
. The pair suggested that Darwinism
, more than a century old, had outlived its usefulness, primarily because evolution
was unable to explain all the biological complexities, which they argue show evidence of an intelligent designer
. Davis additionally co-wrote "Case for Creation," with Wayne Frair, published through Chicago's Moody Bible Institute
in 1983.
In a November 1994 Wall Street Journal front page article concerning why he decided to co-author Of Pandas and People, quoted Davis saying "Of course my motives were religious. There's no question about it."
Clifford Grey
Clifford Grey was an English songwriter, actor, librettist and Olympic medalist. His birth name was Percival Davis, and he was also known as Clifford Gray, Tippi Gray, Tippi Grey, Tippy Gray and Tippy Grey.As a writer, Grey contributed prolifically to West End and Broadway shows, as librettist and...
, whose real name was Percival Davis.
Percival William Davis, also known as Bill Davis, is an American author, young earth creationist
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
, and intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
proponent.
Education and career
In 1958, Davis received a bachelor of arts in zoologyZoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
from DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
, in 1961 master of arts in zoology from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, Masters degrees from Columbia University and the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, and completed a PhD in 1993 from the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
in Instructional Design. Beginning in 1968, Davis has been a professor of Life Science at Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College is a two-year community college, located in Hillsborough County, Florida. The college has six campuses located throughout the county. Locations include: Brandon, Dale Mabry, Plant City, Ybor City, MacDill AFB, and South Shore...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. Since 2006 he has been a visiting professor of biology at Clearwater Christian College
Clearwater Christian College
Clearwater Christian College is a non-denominational Christian college in Clearwater, Florida on Tampa Bay. The school has an enrollment around six hundred students. Clearwater Christian College was founded in 1966...
.
Intelligent design
The term "intelligent designIntelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
" came into general usage following the publishing of a 1989 book called Of Pandas and People
Of Pandas and People
Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins is a controversial 1989 school-level textbook written by Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon and published by the Texas-based Foundation for Thought and Ethics...
co-authored by Davis and Dean H. Kenyon
Dean H. Kenyon
Dean H. Kenyon is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University and an intelligent design proponent. He is also the author of Of Pandas and People, a controversial book on intelligent design.- Career :...
. The pair suggested that Darwinism
Darwinism
Darwinism is a set of movements and concepts related to ideas of transmutation of species or of evolution, including some ideas with no connection to the work of Charles Darwin....
, more than a century old, had outlived its usefulness, primarily because evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
was unable to explain all the biological complexities, which they argue show evidence of an intelligent designer
Intelligent designer
An intelligent designer, also referred to as an intelligent agent, is the hypothetical willed and self-aware entity that the intelligent design movement argues had some role in the origin and/or development of life...
. Davis additionally co-wrote "Case for Creation," with Wayne Frair, published through Chicago's Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
in 1983.
In a November 1994 Wall Street Journal front page article concerning why he decided to co-author Of Pandas and People, quoted Davis saying "Of course my motives were religious. There's no question about it."
Books
- Davis PW. and Frair W. A Case for Creation. 3d. rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1983).
- Davis PW., Villee C, Solomon EP. Biology (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1985).
- Davis PW. and Dean H. KenyonDean H. KenyonDean H. Kenyon is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University and an intelligent design proponent. He is also the author of Of Pandas and People, a controversial book on intelligent design.- Career :...
. Of Pandas and PeopleOf Pandas and PeopleOf Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins is a controversial 1989 school-level textbook written by Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon and published by the Texas-based Foundation for Thought and Ethics...
. (Texas: Foundation for Thought and EthicsFoundation for Thought and EthicsThe Foundation for Thought and Ethics is a Christian non-profit organization based in Richardson, Texas, that publishes textbooks and articles promoting intelligent design, abstinence, and Christian nationism. In addition, the foundation's officers and editors are some of the leading proponents...
, 1989, 1993) ISBN 0-914513-40-0 - Davis PW. and Solomon EP. Human Anatomy and Physiology. (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1983).
- Davis PW. and Solomon EP. The World of Biology, 3rd Ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 1986.
- Understanding Human Anatomy and Physiology (McGraw-Hill)
External links
- P. William Davis from Clearwater Christian CollegeClearwater Christian CollegeClearwater Christian College is a non-denominational Christian college in Clearwater, Florida on Tampa Bay. The school has an enrollment around six hundred students. Clearwater Christian College was founded in 1966...