James H. Davis, 78, of Champaign died peacefully at home from lung cancer on Tuesday, November 16, 2010.

Professor Davis was born August 6, 1932 in Effingham, Il., the son of Forest (Naylor) and Kenneth Davis. He married Elisabeth Bachman on June 27, 1954 in Effingham, Il. Survivors include his wife, Elisabeth, and their three children, Stephen, Kristin, Leah and five grandchildren.

Mr. Davis graduated from Effingham High School in 1950 where he was named an all-conference basketball player. After receiving his BA in Psychology from the University of Illinois in 1954, he spent two years in the United States Army. Then, Mr. Davis began his study of Social Psychology at Michigan State University, receiving his PhD in 1961. His first academic positions were at Miami University of Ohio and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1967 he moved to the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Il. Dr. Davis spent three decades at the University of Illinois, where he was a preeminent researcher in the field of social psychology, specifically the study of small group behavior.

Professor Davis specialized in formulating mathematical models that provide a way of expressing and making predictions for various social combination processes. He has published numerous articles, books, and has received many awards for his work on this subject. The many applications of this research included studies involving mock juries, and was cited in United States Supreme Court decisions. Much of his research was funded by the National Science Foundation. He was a Fellow and executive committee member of several scientific organizations. Dr. Davis served on review panels at federal granting agencies and on blue ribbon panels for the National Academy of Sciences and the Office of Naval Research. He was also a visiting scholar at a number of institutions, including the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, the London School of Economics, the University of Victoria, the University of Kent, and the Japanese Society of Social Psychology. In addition, Dr. Davis was a dedicated teacher and mentor to his many students.

Mr. Davis was a devoted father and husband and beloved by his wife, his children and his grandchildren. Donations in his memory may be made to the James H. Davis Graduate Fellowship Fund at the University of Illinois, in care of the Psychology Department at 603 E. Daniel, Champaign, IL 61820. Memorial services will be held at a later date.