Nunnally, associate professor of biology, emeritus, has died
David A. Nunnally, associate professor of biology, emeritus, died on September 5, 2025, in Columbia, Tennessee, at the age of 90.
Born in 1935 in Memphis, Tennessee, Nunnally was a dedicated scholar and educator. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of the South in 1956. Later that same year, he married his late wife, Judith Jones Nunnally.
Upon completing his bachelor’s, Nunnally immediately jumped into the Ph.D. program in biology at Washington University in St. Louis, which he completed in 1960.
Nunnally joined Vanderbilt in 1960 as an assistant professor before retiring in 1997 as associate professor, emeritus. In 1966, he was the first recipient of the Vanderbilt Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching.
In 1967, Nunnally was part of a group of faculty members who filed for a charter of incorporation with the state of Tennessee to allow the operation, publication, and dissemination of student communication media, which included The Vanderbilt Hustler.
Nunnally’s research focus was embryology, which is the study of prenatal development from the moment of fertilization through birth. While Nunnally was enthusiastic about his work, his true passion was in teaching and supporting his students’ growth.
“When I arrived, Dave taught two courses each semester—a pretty big load if you were doing research, which he was at the time,” said Burton Bogitsh, professor of biological sciences, emeritus. “However, the last 20 to 30 years of his career at Vanderbilt, Dave focused on teaching and interacting with students. He gave up his research, he gave up his research lab, and he devoted time to teaching and committees. He acted on every one of my graduate students’ committees.”
Nunnally retired with his wife in Hampshire, Tennessee, where he focused on his love of crafting furniture and actively following major league baseball.
Nunnally is survived by his three sons, Patrick (Elizabeth) Nunnally BA’79, MA’81, James (Janis) Nunnally, and Andrew Nunnally; two daughters, Elisa (Randall) Wang, BA’80, and Mary (James) Seaman; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and his sister, Alice McGuire.