Gordon Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon J. Davis
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| Parks Commissioner of New York City | |
| In office January 23, 1978 – April 1, 1983 |
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| Appointed by | Ed Koch |
| Preceded by | Joseph P. Davidson |
| Succeeded by | Henry Stern |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gordon Jamison Davis
August 7, 1941 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Peggy Cooper Davis
(m. 1968) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Hyde Park High School Francis Parker School |
| Alma mater | Williams College (BA) Columbia University Harvard University (JD) |
| Occupation | Lawyer, Civic Leader |
Gordon Jamison Davis (born August 7, 1941) is an American lawyer and a leader in his community. He was born in Chicago in 1941. Since finishing law school in 1967, he has lived in New York City. Gordon Davis has been a very important person in New York City's public, community, and legal life. He was the first New York City Parks Commissioner chosen by Mayor Ed Koch. Many people think he was the most successful parks commissioner since the time of Robert Moses. Since 2012, Mr. Davis has been a partner at the law firm Venable LLP in New York.
Gordon Davis was one of the first African Americans to become a partner in a big New York law firm. He helped start Jazz at Lincoln Center. He was also one of the four people who helped create the Central Park Conservancy. He is a founding member of the Performing Arts Hall of Fame at Lincoln Center. He is a lifelong trustee of the New York Public Library. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed him to the board of the Kennedy Center. He has also received special awards from his college, Williams College.
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Early Life and Education
Gordon Davis was born in Chicago on August 7, 1941. He grew up on the South Side of the city. His parents were Dr. W. Allison Davis and Elizabeth Stubbs Davis. Both of his parents were social anthropologists. This means they studied human societies and cultures. They worked together on studies about social groups in the American South.
His father, Dr. W. Allison Davis, became a famous professor at the University of Chicago. In 1947, he was the first African American to become a tenured professor at a major white university in the United States. A U.S. postage stamp was made in 1994 to honor Dr. Davis and his work.
Schooling and College Years
Gordon Davis went to Hyde Park High School and then the Francis Parker School. He then attended Williams College, graduating in 1963. At Williams, he was the vice president of a special honor society called Gargoyle. He also helped start the Williams Civil Rights Committee.
In 2012, Williams College opened the Davis Center. It was named after Gordon Davis's father and uncle. This center works on issues of diversity and inclusion. In 2022, the college also created the Gordon J. Davis '63 Social and Racial Justice Fellowship.
Law School and Early Legal Work
After college, Gordon Davis studied at Columbia University from 1963 to 1964. Then he went to Harvard Law School, where he graduated in 1967. He helped create the Harvard Law School Black Law Students Association. This was the very first group of its kind in the country. He also wrote for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.
Career Highlights
Gordon Davis has had a long and important career. He has worked in government, private law, and for many community and cultural groups.
Working for New York City
In 1967, Gordon Davis started working for New York Mayor John V. Lindsay. He was a special assistant and helped manage the Mayor's Cabinet. In 1973, Mayor Lindsay made him a commissioner on the New York City Planning Commission.
In January 1978, Mayor Edward Koch appointed him as the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation. As Parks Commissioner from 1978 to 1983, Gordon Davis helped bring New York's parks back to life. This was after the city had faced money problems. Many people believe he was the most successful parks commissioner since Robert Moses.
Innovations in Parks and Recreation
As Parks Commissioner, Gordon Davis brought in many new ideas. He started the urban park rangers program. He also helped divide park management into different boroughs. He allowed private companies to manage the city's 13 golf courses. He helped bring Bryant Park back to life. He also created the office for the administrator of Prospect Park. Most importantly, he helped found the Central Park Conservancy. In 2020, the New York Landmarks Conservancy honored him as a "Living Landmark" for his great work in the city.
After working for Mayor Koch, Gordon Davis helped Mayor David Dinkins and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He chaired Mayor Bloomberg's committee on criminal justice in 2001-2002.
Private Law Practice
Since 2012, Gordon Davis has been a partner at the law firm Venable LLP. He first became a partner at a big New York firm, Lord Day & Lord, in 1983. At that time, he was one of only five African Americans who were partners in a major New York corporate law firm.
From 1994 to 2012, Mr. Davis was a partner at Leboeuf Lamb Green & McRae. In 2001, he took a break to serve as president of Lincoln Center Inc. Gordon Davis has represented many important organizations in New York City. These include the New York Public Library, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. He also represented the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Mr. Davis is known as one of New York's most skilled lawyers. He is also recognized as one of the top African American lawyers in the country. He and Conrad Harper helped lead efforts to increase opportunities for minority lawyers. This led to the New York State Bar Association creating a committee to help minorities in the legal field.
Community and Cultural Involvement
Gordon Davis is one of the four people who helped start the Central Park Conservancy. This group has completely restored and now maintains Central Park. He also helped found Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC). In 1989, he worked with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis and others to create JALC. As chairman from 1989 to 2001, he helped JALC become an independent part of Lincoln Center. He also helped plan and build JALC's home, the Frederick P. Rose Hall.
In 2001, Gordon Davis served as president of Lincoln Center. In 2016, he was chosen as a Founding Member of the Performing Arts Hall of Fame at Lincoln Center. He is a lifelong trustee of the New York Public Library. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed him to serve on the board of the Kennedy Center.
Awards and Recognition
Gordon Davis has received many honors. He has honorary degrees from Williams College and Bard College. He has also received the Williams College Bicentennial Medal. He was given the Central Park Conservancy Frederick Law Olmsted Medal. The City of New York also gave him a medal for his outstanding service.
He has been honored by many groups, including the New York 100 Black Men and the Harlem School of the Arts. He also received the Ed Bradley Award for Leadership from Jazz at Lincoln Center. In 2020, he was named a NYC Living Landmark.
Family Life
Gordon Davis married Peggy Cooper Davis in 1968. She was a New York State Family Court judge. She is now a law professor at the New York University Law School. The Davises have one daughter, Elizabeth Cooper Davis. She is a performing artist and an educator.
Gordon Davis's brother, Allison Stubbs Davis, was born in 1939 and lives in Chicago. He is also a lawyer. He works as a real estate developer and community planner.
