Reverand France A. Davis was born on a Georgia farm to John H. and Julia Davis. He was one of nine children. After high school graduation, he attended college at Tuskegee Institute, and later became a jet mechanic in the U.S. Air force. He later earned degrees in Afro-American Studies from Merritt College; Arts and Humanities from Laney College; Rhetoric from University of California at Berkeley; Religion and Philosophy from Westminister College; Mass Communication from the University of Utah; and Master's of Ministry from Northwest Nazarene College.

Recruited as a communication teaching fellow and graduate student by the University of Utah, Davis came to Salt Lake City in September 1972. A year later, he was appointed an instructor and taught various communication and ethnic studies courses, earning a Distinguished Teacher Award. He continues to teach today.
Reverend Davis has served for 22 years as the full-time pastor of the historic Calvary Baptist Church of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Reverand Davis' book, Light in the Midst of Zion, is availble for purchase by contacting Calvary Baptis Church: (801) 355-1025.

He lectures widely on cultural and religious topics. He also serves on community and national boards including: the Utah OIC, the OICs of America, the Salt Lake NAACP, the Salt Lake Housing Authority, Career Service Council, and the Salt lake Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including: an honor from the United States Small Business Administration as the Advocate of the Year for Minority Small Business for the state of Utah, the IBPOE of W lst Annual Image Award from the Beehive Elks Lodge #407, Education Department, 1995. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Utah, 1993.

Reverand Davis enjoys a wife, two daughters, a son, and one grandson.

Utah's African-American Voices is made possible by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the R. Harold Burton Foundation, the Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation, and the Herbert I. and Elsa B. Michael Foundation.

Archival Photo Credit: Utah State Historical Society, all rights reserved.