Herbert B. Davis
Year of Induction: 1990 | Categories: Friends of Sports
The man who marked up more points in basketball and called more plays in football than anyone in the history of sports at Salem High School, was inducted into the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
The late Herbert B. Davis, for 45 years an SCHS English and journalism instructor, was inducted in the category “Friends of Sports.” Mr. Davis was the official scorer at basketball games for many of those 45 years, including regular season, regional and sectional games, and was the voice of the Wildcats on the public address system at home football games.
An avid sports fan, Mr. Davis was a confidant of Salem coaches over the years and was advisor for the school annual, the Salemarion, and the school newspaper, the Broadcaster. He was also the advisor for many years to the SCHS Hi-Y Club. He performed an additional service in the basketball heyday of the Salem Wildcats. During the 1947-48 season, the Wildcats compiled a 27-3 record. For the Salem game at Lawrenceville, Mr. Davis broadcast the game to a large crowd in the old SCHS gym, which is now a part of the Salem Community Activities Center. The account was carried over a telephone line.
Everyone, from 1926 forward, who was in a class tutored by Mr. Davis, remembers it well and came away richer for having been there.
He was an active participant, as well as a fan, playing softball in the city summer leagues and excelling in tennis and golf.
For many years, Mr. Davis supervised the summer fast pitch softball program for the City of Salem, served on the Bryan-Bennett Library Board for 20 years, and was a lifetime member of the Elks with 21 years of perfect attendance.
In 1977, Mr. Davis was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, with a plaque commemorating the honor placed in the Hall of Fame at Illinois State University in Normal. In 1979, a memorial consisting of three flag poles and a stone marker was placed at the north end of the SCHS football field by the SCHS Student Council in memory and honor of the long time teacher.
A graduate of Murphysboro Township High School, Mr. Davis received his Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and received his Master’s degree from the University of Illinois. Mr. Davis died December 5, 1977, and is survived by his wife, Pauline, and daughters, Jacquelyn Holler of St. Louis and Joan Steinburg of Normal.