George A. Davidson Jr. and David B. Fawcett Jr. Recommended for Election As Pitt Emeriti Trustees

David B. Fawcett Jr.

George A. Davidson Jr.

The University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees Nominating Committee recommended that Pitt alumni George A. Davidson Jr. (ENGR ’61), retired chair of major energy producer and transporter Dominion Resources Inc., and David B. Fawcett Jr. (LAW ’53), senior partner in the Pittsburgh-based law firm Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, each be elected an emeritus trustee. The full board will act on the committee’s recommendations at its Oct. 28 fall meeting.

In commenting on the actions taken by the Nominating Committee, University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg stated, “During their decades of dedicated service to the University, George Davidson and David Fawcett have contributed significantly to Pitt’s progress in a range of ways, from their membership on the Board of Trustees and on Boards of Visitors, to their visible presence as Pitt ambassadors in the community, to their generous philanthropy. Through George and Dave’s election as emeriti trustees, the Board respectfully acknowledges their past contributions and ensures that the University will continue to benefit from their service and wise counsel.”

Biographical information on Davidson and Fawcett follows.

George A. Davidson Jr. joined the University’s Board of Trustees in 1987 and has served continuously as a trustee for the past 24 years. He has been an active and supportive Board member who has provided advice and counsel to six Board chairs and three Pitt chancellors. He served on six standing committees—Academic Affairs/Libraries, which he chaired for 10 years (2001-11); Affirmative Action; Compensation; Executive; Investment; and Property and Facilities, which he chaired for five years (1988-93)—and provided leadership on two subcommittees. He chaired the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business/College of Business Administration Board of Visitors for 15 years (1996-2011) and has served on that visiting board since 1987. He currently serves as vice chair of the Swanson School of Engineering Board of Visitors. In addition, he served his alma mater as a University Director of the UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Board.

A generous alumnus of the University, Davidson has established the George A. Davidson Engineering Laboratory for Freshmen, the George A. Davidson Jr. Unit Operation Laboratory in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, the George A. Davidson Jr. MBA Endowed Scholarship Fund, and the George Davidson Graduate Fellowships in Chemical Engineering.  He is a Golden Life Member of the Pitt Alumni Association, a member of the Cathedral of Learning Society and the Brackenridge Circle, and a volunteer for the Swanson School of Engineering, including service as cochair of the engineering school’s capital campaign.

In 2003, the American Gas Association presented Davidson with its Distinguished Service Award, the association’s highest honor, for his contributions to the natural gas industry. His contributions have also been recognized by the University of Pittsburgh: He is a Legacy Laureate, the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Swanson School, and the recipient the Bicentennial Medallion of Distinction. Most recently, the Board of Trustees recognized Davidson’s service as a trustee with the Trustee Medallion.

David B. Fawcett Jr. has been actively involved in the life of the University of Pittsburgh for nearly four decades through the Pitt Alumni Association, the Board of Trustees, and two Boards of Visitors. During his tenure as an Alumni Trustee (1997-2005), he was a member of the Athletics Committee, the Property and Facilities Committee, and the Boards of Visitors for the Schools of Medicine and Law. He also was a University Director of the UPMC Board of Directors and its Executive Committee and a University Director of the UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Board. Most recently, he has served the University as a Community Representative to the Board of Trustees Athletics and Health Sciences committees, and he currently serves as a member of the School of Law Board of Visitors.

A Charter Lifetime Member of the Pitt Alumni Association, Fawcett is also a Lifetime Member and past president of the School of Law Alumni Association and a volunteer for various Pitt law school alumni activities. In 1991, the School of Law honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award.  The construction of the Fawcett Student Commons in the Barco Law Building was made possible by his generosity in honor of the Fawcett family graduates of the School of Law, including Fawcett, his father, and his two sons.

A prominent Bar leader, Fawcett served as president of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations and was a member of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates for 10 years. He is the recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Gilbert Nurick Award, the Civil Litigation Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Professionalism Award, and the Allegheny County Academy of Trial Lawyers’ Distinguished Service Award. In addition, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote instituted the David B. Fawcett Pro Bono Award, named after Fawcett in recognition of his own commitment to public service and in celebration of his 60th year with the firm.