By Linwood Outlaw III -- Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER — Take a bow, James A. Davis. About 500 colleagues and other officials gathered at the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre on Monday evening to pay homage to his 26-year run as university president during a special tribute ceremony honoring him and his wife, Janet. Davis will retire as SU president on June 30.

"He was a world-class find. I'm not sure people understood his value" when he was initially hired, said Harry S. Smith, chairman of SU's Board of Trustees, who led Monday's ceremony. "He's bigger than just Shenandoah and Winchester and Frederick County. He's a state figure. He's a national figure."

Monday's ceremony featured performances from faculty and alumni, a dinner reception and tribute videos featuring Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and others. Davis became president of the school in 1982 and is credited for a number of improvements, including adding 15 buildings, increasing enrollment from 874 students to more than 3,000 full-time students and expanding the university's endowment from less than $500,000 to $50 million.

"He took a very small school that was purely a small, regional school and built it from a college to a university. We have to remember that when he came, Shenandoah was basically a music school that had undergraduate classes. And today, it's a multi-divisional university," said Mary Shockey, a longtime friend of Davis.

From day one, Davis says, the mission was clear.

"I always wanted this institution to be the community's institution ... A growing community with a growing institution, anything's possible," Davis said.

Tracy Fitzsimmons, senior vice president and vice president for academic affairs, was named president-elect last May. She will become the university's 16th president and first female president on July 1.

Many of Davis' colleagues insist that his presence will be felt at the institution for years to come.

"He's a man of tremendous enthusiasm and energy. He thinks really big," said Margaret Warner, a TV correspondent on PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and trustee of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. "He's had the same vision on the VFIC. If a good idea comes to the VFIC, Jim would say 'nice idea, but you're not thinking big enough.'"

Monday's gala was one of several tribute events planned for Davis leading up to his final month on the job. Today, students, staff and alumni are invited to take part in a party honoring the Davis family in front of Ruebush Hall beginning at 4 p.m. The Class of 2008 will also present Davis and his wife, Janet Davis, with a gift during the university's commencement on May 10 at 11 a.m. in the Smith Library Plaza.

But Monday's celebration will be cherished for quite a while, Janet Davis said.

"This is a marvelous evening for us, and it's really very, very humbling," she said. "You work in a community for a long time, and you feel like you've made lots of friends. And to be a part of an event like this, where everybody comes out and embraces you so warmly, is just a fantastic feeling."

* Contact Linwood Outlaw III at loutlaw@nvdaily.com