By Mike Clemens ’15
Most people are introduced to their future college as a high school junior. They discover it on an admissions visit, by searching college websites, or through the advice of a guidance counselor. My connection to Siena College began much earlier. From the time I was very young, I had Siena College t-shirts in my dresser. They weren’t purchases of my proud, alumni parents, but gifts from a Franciscan friar whom they had met and befriended during their time as Siena students.
The sustained relationship my parents held with the friar is a testament to the kind of lifelong connections that Siena is perfect for, connections I’ve made over the last four years. Now, as I prepare to graduate from Siena, that same friar who subtly introduced me to the Siena community with tiny t-shirts is preparing to move on as well.
Fr. Julian Davies, O.F.M., Ph.D. came to Siena in the fall of 1969 and this academic year, after 44 years of teaching philosophy, he will retire. In his time at Siena, Davies has served the college in several capacities: as a professor, a priest, a Friar-in-Residence and, most recently, as the College’s archivist. For 15 years, he also worked as part of the Marriage Encounter Movement, helping couples improve their marriages. Still, his impressive career is defined not so much by the successes he has amassed, but by the people whose lives he’s touched.
“In almost every graduating class, there have been students who I’ve kept in contact with,” Davies said. “When you’ve been at this as long as I have, you start to get the children of former students in class as well, which is always nice.”
It is through one of these connections that I first came to know Siena, and it is the spirit of friendship and community that exists here that Davies said has allowed him to take such an active part in the lives of many former students.
“I’ve done probably a dozen or more alumni weddings,” he said. “The majority of the weddings I’ve performed during my ministry have been connected in some way to Siena. Beyond that, I can’t count the number of baptisms.”
Davies earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Bonaventure University and his master’s degree and doctorate from Fordham University. A specialist in medieval philosophy, Davies got his first taste of the discipline when he joined the Franciscan Order.
“At first I was frightened of it [philosophy],” he laughs. “But I was fortunate to have some very inspiring Franciscan teachers, and they helped me cultivate a passion for the subject.”
Davies said that he wanted to work in academia from the time he first studied philosophy. During his career as a scholar, Davies has published two translations and one book of his own. He also logged more than 50 years as an editor of Franciscan periodicals. Like his commitment to academics, Davies said that his call to the priesthood also came early in his undergraduate career. Still, the man who has spent more than six decades as a Franciscan almost joined another brotherhood entirely.
“When I was thinking about joining the priesthood, I considered both the Franciscans and the Dominicans, but the Dominicans were too intellectual for me,” Davies said, “What I liked about the Franciscans was that you didn’t have to be a genius. You just needed to be a good person and have a good sense of humor.”
When you talk with him, that sense of humor is what stands out most. As we talked, Davies told me stories from years ago, stories from Siena students past and present that have stayed with him and made him laugh. He’s even a good sport about the nickname they’ve given him over the years, “D+ Davies.” When I asked him about it, he took a moment and then started laughing.
“Is it D+ now?” he asked. “Because it used to be D. I guess grade inflation has set in.”
Outside the classroom Davies is an avid sports fan, especially of Siena basketball. He is proud to have attended a number of Siena championship games. He is also a baseball fan. “I’m rooting for the Royals now,” he said. “There’s just no hope for the Cubs.”
In the last few years, Davies has developed a new interest serving as a chaplain aboard cruise ships, an opportunity that has let him see the world. Of all the places he has traveled and all the people he’s met in his career, Davies is always happy to return to Siena, the place he credits with allowing him to enrich his life in so many different ways. “This is truly a wonderful place,” Davies said.
In his retirement, Davies will remain at Siena.
