Georgia Historical Society

  2008 Volunteer of the Year Awardee

 Archibald Hilliard Davis

Archie Davis, a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has spent his life giving back to the community. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Curators of the Georgia Historical Society.

Georgia has been Archie's home since 1966, when he joined Citizens and Southern National Bank in Atlanta after earning an MBA at Harvard. The Georgia connection was permanently sealed the following year when Archie married Sally Johnson, whose family had moved in the late 1820s from North Carolina to near Americus.

After a successful career with C&SNB in Atlanta and Savannah, Mr. Davis became founding director of The Savannah Bank and The Savannah Bancorp in 1989. As a business and community leader he has helped build a bank, strengthen dozens of local businesses and non-profit organizations, and make Savannah a better place to live and work.

Mr. Davis' inspiration was his father, who gave him an appreciation for community leadership and involvement. He also instilled in his son a lifelong love of history, which has led Mr. Davis to serve as chairman of the Georgia Trust, treasurer of the Atlanta Historical Society and the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum and Foundation, and has served on the board of the Historic Savannah Foundation. He has been on the GHS Board of Curators on three separate occasions.

His community involvement beyond history includes chairman of the Raptor Center at Georgia Southern, Savannah Technical College Foundation, Atlanta Downtown Development Authority, and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also been treasurer of Candler Hospital and the St. Joseph's/Candler Health System, and has served on the boards of Salem Academy and College, Savannah Port Authority (now SEDA), the UNC Alumni Board, and the UNC Arts and Sciences Foundation.

Mr. Davis is a graduate of the Woodberry Forest School, and holds an A.B. in English from the University of North Carolina, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Mr. Davis and his wife Sally reside in Savannah. They have a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.