Bettye Davis

{{Infobox officeholder

| name =Bettye Davis

| image =Bettye_Davis.jpg

| imagesize =220px

| smallimage =

| caption =

| order =

| office =

| state_senate =Alaska

| state =Alaska

| district =K

| term_start =January 8, 2001

| term_end =January 15, 2013

| president =

| predecessor =Tim Kelly

| successor =redistricted

| state_house2 =Alaska

| state2 =Alaska

| district2 =21st

| term_start2 =January 18, 1993

| term_end2 =January 13, 1997

| predecessor2 =redistricted

| successor2 =Joe Ryan

| state_house3 =Alaska

| state3 =Alaska

| district3 =14th

| term_start3 =January 21, 1991

| term_end3 =January 18, 1993

| alongside3 =Ramona L. BarnesUrban legislative districts in Alaska at the time were two-member districts with designated seats A and B. Davis held Seat B in District 14.

| predecessor3 =Walter R. Furnace

| successor3 =redistricted

| party =Democratic

| birth_name =Bettye Jean Ivory

| birth_date ={{Birth date|1938|5|17}}

| birth_place =Homer, Louisiana

| death_date ={{death date and age|2018|12|02|1938|05|17}}

| death_place =Anchorage, Alaska

| alma_mater =Grambling State University

| profession =Social worker

| spouse =Widowed

| residence =Anchorage, Alaska

|}}

Bettye Jean Davis (née Ivory; May 17, 1938 – December 2, 2018) was an American social worker and politician. She was the first African-American to be elected as an Alaska State Senator in 2000.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?n=bettye-j-davis&pid=190925475&fhid=16963|title=Bettye Davis Obituary|date=December 9, 2018|website=Anchorage Daily News|accessdate=February 21, 2019}}

Davis was a Democratic Party member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the fourteenth and twenty-first districts from 1991 through 1996{{Cite web|date=22 May 2018|title=Honorable Bettye Davis|url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/honorable-bettye-davis|url-status=live|access-date=15 Nov 2021|website=The HistoryMakers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117072729/http://www.thehistorymakers.org:80/biography/honorable-bettye-davis |archive-date=January 17, 2019 }} and the Alaska Senate, representing the K District from 2000 through 2013. During her time in the Alaska Senate she co-sponsored legislation introduced by Representative Sharon M. Cissna to address the needs of Alaska's aging adult population. Senator Davis was referred to as "the conscience of the Legislature" due to her advocacy for programs which supported vulnerable Alaskans.{{Cite web|title=Bettye Davis First Black Woman in Alaska State House of Representatives|url=https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/extra-tough-women-of-the-north/women-of-the-north-profiles/bettye-davis-first-black-woman-in-alaska-state-house-of-representatives/|url-status=live|access-date=15 Nov 2021|website=Extra Tough: Women of the North Exhibit|publisher=Anchorage Museum|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006233357/https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/extra-tough-women-of-the-north/women-of-the-north-profiles/bettye-davis-first-black-woman-in-alaska-state-house-of-representatives/ |archive-date=October 6, 2021 }}

She was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2010. She was defeated in the 2012 general election for State Senate district M by Anna Fairclough. In April 2013 she was elected to the Anchorage School Board, a body on which she'd served non-consecutive terms in the 1980s and 1990s.[http://www.adn.com/2013/04/02/2849704/school-board-election-davis-ousts.html School Board election: Davis ousts Smith; Croft wins seat] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911233035/http://www.adn.com/2013/04/02/2849704/school-board-election-davis-ousts.html |date=September 11, 2013 }}, Anchorage Daily News, 2 April 2013. Accessed 8 September 2013. Davis died at her home in Anchorage at the age of 80.[https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?betye-j-davis&pid=190925475&fhid=16953 Bettye Davis-obituary][http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Member/Detail/25?code=DAB Alaska State Legislature-Bettye Davis]

In July 2020, Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School, a high school in Anchorage was renamed in her honor.{{Cite web |last=Hanlon |first=Tegan |date=2020-10-22 |title=Anchorage School Board renames high school after Bettye Davis, Alaska's 1st Black state senator |url=https://www.ktoo.org/2020/10/22/anchorage-school-board-renames-high-school-after-bettye-davis-alaskas-1st-black-state-senator/ |access-date=2021-05-10 |website=KTOO |language=en-US}}

Biography

=Early life=

Davis was born to Daniel and Rosyland Ivory on May 17, 1938, in Homer, Louisiana and graduated from Elliott High School in Bernice, La.{{cite web |title=Bettye J. Davis 1938-2018 |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/adn/name/bettye-davis-obituary?id=14333036 |work=Anchorage Daily News |access-date=7 October 2021}}

= Education =

Davis graduated from Elliott High School in Bernice, Louisiana in 1956. She received her bachelor's degree in social work from Grambling State University in 1972, her nursing degree from Saint Anthony College of Nursing in 1961 and completed graduate level studies in social work at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

=Expanded description=

She resided in Anchorage, Alaska for over 45 years where she was an active member of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.{{cite web |title=Bettye J. Davis 1938-2018 |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/adn/name/bettye-davis-obituary?id=14333036 |work=Anchorage Daily News |access-date=7 October 2021}} Davis served on the NAACP Anchorage branch board of directors for four years (1978–1982).

Significant legislation

As a result of the 2004 bipartisan Legislative hearing, "Aging Adults: Is there room for us in Alaska," which captured testimony from hundreds of aging Alaskans, their families and caregivers, Davis helped develop the SeniorCare program. SeniorCare (2004) sought to fill a need for prescription drug relief following the cut of the Alaska Longevity Bonus program in 2003 and prior to the implementation of the Federal Medicare prescription drug program in 2006. Additionally, 39 recommendations were put forth as a result of the panel discussions and testimony collected during the legislative hearing. Recommendations addressed critical needs and improvements to senior services in areas of organizational effectiveness, program development, program integrity, research and education and funding.{{Cite book|title=Aging adults in Alaska : a report based on the October 29, 2005 bipartisan legislative hearing: "Aging adults: is there room for us in Alaska?" hearing hosted by Representative Sharon Cissna ; cosponsored by Senators Bettye Davis ... [and others]|publisher=Alaska State Legislature|year=2004|location=Juneau, AK|pages=2, 81}}

Honors, decorations, awards and distinctions

Appointed by Alaska Governor Tony Knowles to the State Board of Education (1998).{{cite web |title=Senator Davis Biography |url=http://senate.legis.state.ak.us/dab.php |publisher=Alaska State Legislature |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913140959/http://senate.legis.state.ak.us/dab.php |access-date=7 October 2021|archive-date=September 13, 2008 }}
Pioneer Woman of the Year Award, 2010.
Recipient of the Celebrate Liberty Award from the Alaska Civil Liberties Union, 2010.
Inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2010.{{Cite web|title=BETTYE Jean (Ivory) DAVIS|url=https://www.alaskawomenshalloffame.org/alumnae/bettye-davis/|url-status=live|access-date=9 Nov 2021|website=Alaska Women's Hall of Fame|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110013752/https://www.alaskawomenshalloffame.org/alumnae/bettye-davis/ |archive-date=November 10, 2021 }}
A [https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/extra-tough-women-of-the-north/women-of-the-north-profiles/bettye-davis-first-black-woman-in-alaska-state-house-of-representatives/ profile of Davis] was featured as part of the Anchorage Museum's, [https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/extra-tough-women-of-the-north/ Extra Tough: Women of the North Exhibit], 2020.
In July 2020, Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School, a high school in Anchorage was renamed in her honor.

Notes

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080913140959/http://senate.legis.state.ak.us/dab.php Alaska State Legislature – Senator Bettye Davis]official government website
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100609160909/http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=8848 Project Vote Smart – Senator Bettye Davis (AK)] profile
Follow the Money – Bettye Davis
[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=89717 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=74360 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=20757 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=20470 1996] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=20312 1994] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=20110 1992] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=19938 1990] campaign contributions
[http://100years.akleg.gov/bio.php?id=678 Bettye Davis] at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
[https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-1127/ "Guide to the Bettye Davis papers 1976-2012"]. Archives and Special Collections of the University of Alaska/Alaska Pacific University Consortium Library

Category:1938 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:20th-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century members of the Alaska Legislature

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:African-American nurses

Category:American nurses

Category:American women nurses

Category:African-American state legislators in Alaska

Category:Democratic Party Alaska state senators

Category:American social workers

Category:Grambling State University alumni