Cecil Burke Day (December 10, 1934 – December 15, 1978) was an American hotelier, known for founding the hotel chain

Days Inn Days Inn is a hotel chain headquartered in the United States. It was founded in 1970 by Cecil B. Day, who opened the first location in Tybee Island, Georgia. The brand is now a part of the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, headquartered in Parsippany ...

Biography

Day studied at

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 s ...

in Macon, Georgia, but withdrew prior to graduation to join the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. After the Marine Corps, Day studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology; he was a member of

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...

fraternity and graduated with a degree in Industrial Management in 1958. Day owned real estate in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. He sold a duplex for $4,000,000 and used the funds to open the first Days Inn hotel, which was located on

Tybee Island, Georgia Tybee Island is a city and a barrier island located in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah, United States. Though the name "Tybee Island" is used for both the island and the city, geographically they are not identica ...

. Day coined the phrase "budget-luxury" and expanded his hotel chain with great success building a large network of franchise hotels. Day had five children and was Southern Baptist. He died of cancer in 1978.

Foundation

Cecil B. Day founded the Day Foundation which supported evangelical churches, organizations and Bible Colleges.

Places named in his honor

* The Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus of

in Atlanta, Georgia *The Cecil B. Day Chapel a
The Carter Center
in Atlanta, Georgia
Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration
at

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...

* Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center at

Callaway Gardens Callaway Resort & Gardens is a resort complex located near Pine Mountain in Harris County, Georgia, from LaGrange, Georgia. The world's largest azalea garden, this destination draws over 750,000 visitors annually. Callaway Gardens was ranked ...

in Pine Mountain, Georgia * Cecil B. Day Fitness Center at Dunwoody Baptist Church in Dunwoody, Georgia * Day Chapel at Atlanta's Perimeter ChurchPerimeter Church dedicates new facility in honor of local entrepreneur
Retrieved 2010-Oct-12.] * Cecil B. Day Auditorium at the North American Mission Board Headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia

Images

Image:Day butterfly center.jpg, Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center

References

American hoteliers 1934 births 1979 deaths Mercer University alumni Georgia Tech alumni 20th-century American businesspeople People from Bulloch County, Georgia Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state) {{GeorgiaUS-bio-stub