College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis has been named to the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission.
President Donald Trump named Davis, along with 17 other individuals, to the commission last week for two-year terms. The 1776 Commission was established through executive order in November to promote “patriotic education” and American history.
Davis was the only Missourian named to the commission. He has served as a college president for 43 years.
“We must reinforce American ideals and values at this critical time in history,” Davis said in a news release. “Some in our nation seek to erase any distinct sense of American identity or American Exceptionalism from our hearts, minds, and history books. As America heads towards its 250th anniversary in 2026, Ronald Reagan’s prophetic statement still rings true: ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.’ Without patriotic education, historic American values and virtues will cease to exist in America’s youth.”
Gov. Mike Parson congratulated Davis’ appointment on social media Tuesday.
“We are proud to have Missouri education represented on this national stage,” Parson said.
Congratulations to @CofOHardWorkU President Jerry Davis on his appointment to the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission. The new commission is tasked with promoting patriotic education across America. We are proud to have Missouri education represented on this national stage.
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) December 22, 2020
In an interview with “Fox & Friends” over the weekend, Davis touted his college’s own patriotic education program through courses and an international travel program focused on where U.S. veterans have served. The college, located in Point Lookout, also established the William S. Knight Center for Patriotic Education in September “to take the college’s tested patriotic education programs to a national stage and support the civic education of American youth through advocacy and digital resources,” according to a news release.
“What we bring to the commission is a perspective of viewing America through the lens of a college that advances traditional American values. We’re teaching love of country and a willingness to defend it,” Davis said.
Aside from leading the College of the Ozarks, Davis has served as the president of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities. He was also a trustee and advisor of the Marine Military Academy. Additionally, Davis was the 2004 recipient of the Missourian Award and the 2015 National Freedom Award, given by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
