The following is a story about Mary Pitt Davis on the event of her nomination for Teacher of the Year:

Mary Pitt Davis' students will probably never forget the story she tells every year about Gertrude, the steer "who could run like the wind". The Gleneig High School biology teacher, nominated for the 1995 Teacher of the Year Award, uses the tale to teach about anaerobis respiration and rigor moris, the progressive stiffening of the muscles that occurs several hours after death.As she relates it, she and the youngest of her three sons were walking the pasture on her father's farm 18 years ago when the $40 animal started to follow. "Most of the cows stayed away," Mrs. Davis recalled, "but Gertrude--he, it--kept coming. He wouldn't leave us alone. I had to jump the fence.""I told my father I was ready for filet magnon," she said. But the steer bolted when it spotted the armed men with shotguns whom her father had called, and kkept running until it was shot, Mrs. Davis said.That's where the biology lesson comes in.  The animal's body stiffened up on the truck that came to haul it away. Rigor mortis had set in--so much so that the family had to hang the carcass for a month before thay could eat the beef. And in the end, the steer bit back. "The first bite I took, it broke my tooth," Mrs. Davis said. "He was still in rigor mortis. He got his revenge." That story illustrates the humorous, earthy instruction style that helped earn the 50 year old Dayton woman a spot as one of seven teachers competing for the state teacher award. For 25 years, Mrs. Davis taught life sciences, chemistry, earth science, biochemistry and anatomy. She also taught in Japan and Turkey.  She earned a Bachelor of Science in botany and biology from the University of Wshington, Seattle in 1966, a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish literature,also from Washington , and a Master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education from the John Hopkins University in 1983.From 1977 to 1985 she taught at Oakland's Mills High School when she left for 2 years for a stint as a science teacher in Turkey. Mrs. Davis was the rcipient of 2 research fellowships. She has written 2 high school biology texts.