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. Davis was a Democratic Party member of the

Alaska House of Representatives The Alaska State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of approximately 17,756 people per ...

, representing the fourteenth and twenty-first districts from 1991 through 1996 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. 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 Anna MacKinnon (formerly Fairclough; born November 11, 1957) is an American Republican politician who is formerly a member of the Alaska Senate, representing District G from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, she served in the Alaska House of Repre ...

. 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. Davis died at her home in

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

at the age of 80. In July 2020, Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School, a high school in Anchorage was renamed in her honor.

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.

Education

Davis graduated from Elliott High School in

Bernice, Louisiana Bernice is a town in Union Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,689 at the 2010 census, a decrease from 1,809 in 2000. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The area was part of the Louisiana frontie ...

in 1956. She received her bachelor's degree in social work from

Grambling State University Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage ...

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. 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.

Honors, decorations, awards and distinctions

* Appointed by Alaska Governor Tony Knowles to the State Board of Education (1998). * 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. *
profile of Davis
was featured as part of the Anchorage Museum's
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

Alaska State Legislature – Senator Bettye Davis
''official government website
Project Vote Smart – Senator Bettye Davis (AK)
profile * ''Follow the Money'' – Bettye Davis *
2006200420001996199419921990
campaign contributions
Bettye Davis
at ''100 Years of Alaska's Legislature''
"Guide to the Bettye Davis papers 1976-2012"
''Archives and Special Collections of the University of Alaska/Alaska Pacific University Consortium Library'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Bettye 1938 births 2018 deaths 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians African-American nurses American nurses American women nurses African-American state legislators in Alaska African-American women in politics Democratic Party Alaska state senators American social workers Grambling State University alumni Democratic Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives People from Homer, Louisiana School board members in Alaska University of Alaska Anchorage alumni Women state legislators in Alaska 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American politicians