Mr. Davis, professor emeritus at University of North Carolina at Wilmington, retired from the university in 1991. Prior to his employment with UNCW, he was employed by the City of Wilmington as Director of Parks and Recreation, being the first African-American to head a municipal parks and recreation in the South.
During his 20 years with the City of Wilmington, he became the first African-American to be elected president of the N.C. Recreation and Park Society. He served as consultant to the Model Cities Program, consultant to the National Conservation Foundation and to the N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development.
During his tenure with the city, he co-authored the proposal, which resulted in the establishment of New Hanover Services for the aging and he secured a grant for the construction of the Martin Luther King Center.
After he left the city, to accept a position at UNCW, the City Council voted to name a newly constructed community center in his honor, Derick G.S. Davis Community Center.
At UNCW, he was instrumental in developing the Parks and Recreation Curriculum. He guided the program through the process for accreditation by the National Recreation Association. He organized a Recreation Majors Club. Members of the club have been very active in the Student Division of the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Society. The club's annual banquet became the Derick G.S. Davis Banquet and the first Derick G.S. Davis Scholarship was awarded in April 2003.