William C. Davis, a native of Independence, Missouri, was educated in Northern California, spent 20 years in editorial management in the magazine and book publishing industry, then left the industry in 1990 to spend the next decade working as a writer and consultant.
The author or editor of more than 50 books and numerous documentary screenplays in the fields of Civil War and southern history, Davis was the on-camera senior consultant for 52 episodes of the Arts & Entertainment Network/History Channel series "Civil War Journal," as well as a number of other productions on commercial and public television, including the BBC abroad. He has acted as historical consultant for several television and film productions, including "The Blue and the Gray," "George Washington," and "The Perfect Tribute."
Davis is the only three-time winner of the Jefferson Davis Award given for book-length works on Confederate history. His most recent book is The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf.
Davis came to Virginia Tech to serve both as director of programs for the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies and as professor of history. In coming to Virginia, Davis in some respects has returned to his roots -- his ancestors settled in nearby Carroll and Grayson Counties some 200 years ago, and virtually all of his ancestors hail from the Old Dominion, some as far back as 1610.
Educational Background:
B.A., Sonoma State University, 1968
M.A., Sonoma State University, 1969
Doc. Hum. Let., Lincoln Memorial University, 1976
