Blacks@Dartmouth 1775 to 1960

Newport News — Don A. Davis Jr., retired executive director of Peoples Savings and Loan, died Tuesday, June 20, in Sentara Hampton General Hospital.

He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Sentara Hampton General Hospital and the Board of Directors of Community Federal Savings and Loan. A native of Hampton, Mr. Davis graduated from Hampton Academy as valedictorian at age 15. He was the only black graduate of Dartmouth College in the class of 1934. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and was sire archon of Beta Lambda Boule, Sigma Pi Phi.

Mr. Davis became employed with what was then Peoples Building and Loan Association in 1940 after six years as note teller and auditor of Mechanics and Farmers Bank of Durham, N.C. He retired in 1971. Mr. Davis formerly served as treasurer of the Peninsula Cooperative Society and as a member of City of Hampton Finance Study Committee and the Board of Directors of Hampton Red Cross. He also was a member of Peninsula Investors Society and served as accountant for the legal firm of W. Davis Butts. A member of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, Mr. Davis was instrumental in obtaining the old United Service Organization building and transforming it into the now King Street Community Center.

Survivors include his wife, Lenne S. Davis; two daughters, Joan E. Davis of Richmond and Donna L. Davis of Hampton; and one sister, Elizabeth D. Adams of Baltimore. A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday in Ronald C. Perkins Funeral Home by the Rev. James H. Hill. The family will receive friends from 1 until the service Saturday.

Interment will be in Hampton University Cemetery. The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of contributions to United Negro College Fund, 500 E. 62nd St., New York, N.Y., 10021, or the St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church building fund.