David B. Stevens, University Attorney
Biographical sketch of David Stevens. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: "Profile of: David B. Stevens University Attorney," Pieces of Eight, October 15, 1982.
From bank clerk to bomber pilot, from prosecutor to defense counsel in military courts martial, from law libraries to classrooms and courtrooms, David B. Stevens now finds his job as university attorney and part-time professor "as exciting and challenging" as anything in his career.
Having traveled, lived and worked in 36 counties on five continents and some ocean isles, Stevens and his wife, Willa, "followed our son to college" at East Carolina a dozen years ago.
Son David Jr., now a Piedmont Airlines pilot, had a basketball hero at ECU and wanted to enroll in ECU's Air Force ROTC. So the family flew here from the Azores in time for freshman orientation in July, 1969. Among others, the Stevens met Jim Mallory, James Tucker, Jack Horne and Jim Bearden, and decided to stay. He retired with rank of coloniel after 21 years of active duty in the Air Force, accepted Bearden's offer of a faculty post in the School of Business and the family moved to Greenville.
"I've had 12 of the most exciting, challenging years of my life," Steven says.
In addition to David Jr., a 1973 ECU graduate, son Paul is a senior in parks and recreation at ECU and daughter Caroline is a senior in therapeutic recreation at UNC-Wilmington.
Miliary Career
The Stevens met when both were freshmen at Augusta, Georgia, Junior College and were married the next year, in 1942. In 1944, Stevens was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Air Force and spent the next two years piloting B25s and C46s in the European, North African and China-Burna-India theaters of World War II operations. After the war, he worked briefly as a commercial pilot before resuming his education at UNC-Chapel Hill.
He was recalled to active duty in the Air Force in 1951 and served continuouosly with subsequent regular commission and promotions to the rank colonel, until his 1970 retirement.
Stevens continues to pilot aircraft. "Flying, golf and relaxing at the beach," are his off-duty relaxations. But even more, he finds "working with young people" as a professor, now in Social Work and Correctional Services, and Bible class teacher and civic worker "highly satisfying". He has served as president of the Greenville Kiwanis club and as lieutenant governor of a division of Kiwanis International.
Sets up Scholarship
Earlier this month, Stevens and his wife established a $10,000 endowed scholarship fund to aid undergraduates in social work and correctional services. "It's something we have wanted to do," they said.
"I have had the privilege for a number of years of working with students who are highly motivated and deeply dedicated to this service profession," Steven says. "Social work, in my opinion, is next to the cloth in rendering service to the fellow man.
"I have seen any number of courageous young people struggling to get through that program. I know first-hand of their dedication to enter what is truly a service profession," he said.
Stevens believes their scholarship program through the ECU Foundation may be a model for other scholarships aid to ECU academic departments by interest benefactors. "We certainly hope it will encourage others at this time when our university is beginning to gather such momentum and so much opportunity exists," Steven says. "It is a very exciting and challenging time for all of us."
