Reverend France A. Davis papers

Collection

Identifier: ACCN 3233

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Reverend France A. Davis Papers (1915-2020) consist primarily of sermons delivered by Davis at the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. The first series consists of materials related to his service at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Included are a few letters from James Bryant, who writes with gratitude for Reverend Davis from correctional facilities. The second series consists of personal materials primarily related to Reverend Davis' mother, Julia Cooper Davis. Included are legal documents and maps related to his mother's property in Burke County, Georgia. Also found in this series is Reverend Davis' doctoral dissertation submitted to the University of Utah in 1978. The third series consists of printed materials related to education, religion, and race in America. The fourth series consists of sermons delivered by Reverend Davis. The sermons were originally housed in numbered binders with the exception of a few binders that were not identified. The original arrangement was kept. The sermons are listed by title along with the passage(s). The bulk of the sermons are typewritten, unless otherwise noted. Many of the sermons contain corrections and notes. The notes at the end of this series loosely accompanied the sermons in the binders. The fifth series consists primarily of Reverend Davis' writings, unless otherwise noted. Writings in this series may be sermons and outlines only. The sixth series consists of two scrapbooks with clippings, letters, photographs, and printed materials. The albums document Davis' career at Calvary Baptist Church and clippings concerning the Black community. Also included in this series are textile materials and a magnifying glass.

Click here to view digitized sermons from the collection or the links below.

Dates

1915-2020

Creator

Davis, France (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical / Historical

Reverend France Albert Davis was born in Gough, Georgia on December 5, 1946 to John and Julia Davis. Before becoming the leader of Utah’s most prominent black church, Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Davis was a participant in the civil rights campaigns of Martin Luther King Jr. His decision to devote his life’s work to ministry came after his participation in the March on Washington in 1963 and the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march in 1965. Davis served in the United States Air Force as an aircraft mechanic from 1966 to 1970.

In 1972, Davis moved to Salt Lake City, Utah as a teaching fellow and graduate student at the University of Utah. He became a faculty member in the Department of Communication and Ethnic Studies a year later. He joined Calvary Baptist Church in 1972 and became the full-time pastor in 1974. He also serves as the chaplain to the U football team.

Having retired from the U in July 2014, Davis holds the title of Adjunct Associate Professor Emeritus. Davis also holds several degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric from the University of California at Berkeley, a Bachelor of Science in Religion from Westminster College, a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Utah and a Master of Arts in Ministry from Northwest Nazarene University. Davis’ life-long devotion to education has been honored by four scholarships in his name; three locally and one in Miami. He has also served as the secretary of the Salt Lake Ministerial Association, a member of the South Africa Preaching Team for the National Baptist Convention’s Foreign Mission and as advisor, vice-president and assistant to the dean of the Intermountain General Baptist Convention.

Davis is married to Willene Davis. The couple has three children: Carolyn, Grace, and France.

Source: Humanities.utah.edu. 2022. Civil rights veteran and U alum Rev. France A. Davis to deliver 2019 commencement address - College of Humanities - The University of Utah. [online] Available at: University of Utah. College of Humanities [Accessed 16 August 2022].

Extent

12 Linear Feet (23 Boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Reverend France A. Davis papers (1915-2020) consist primarily of sermons delivered by Reverend Davis at the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Reverend Davis is a pastor emeritus and civil rights activist.

Arrangement

Arranged into the following six series: 1. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church (Salt Lake City, Utah); 2. Personal Materials; 3. Printed Materials; 4. Sermons; 5. Speeches and Writings; and 6. Oversize Materials.