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TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE PORTION OF UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 221/SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 72 IN GREENWOOD COUNTY, FROM ITS INTERSECTION WITH UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 25 TO ITS INTERSECTION WITH SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 246, "EMMETT I. DAVIS, JR. MEMORIAL HIGHWAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS ALONG THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY CONTAINING THIS DESIGNATION.
Whereas, a "true pillar" of the Greenwood community, Mr. Emmett I. Davis, Jr., was described as a man of integrity and faith devoted to his family. A son of the late Emmett Irwin Davis, Sr., and Lelia Burrow Davis, he attended Greenwood High School and earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from The Citadel in 1950; and
Whereas, Mr. Davis returned to Greenwood after college, working as a civil/structural engineer at Greenwood Mills while serving with the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Reserves for twelve years; and
Whereas, in 1954, Mr. Davis and a coworker, Mr. Phil Floyd, began Davis & Floyd, Inc., a multidiscipline professional engineering firm, in the back of a liquor store in Greenwood. Today, the firm has grown to become the largest privately owned engineering firm in the State, with offices in Greenwood, Greenville, Charleston, Columbia, and Florence, employing more than one hundred seventy-five workers; and
Whereas, over the course of the firm's sixty-three years, it has been involved in such challenging projects as the Conway Bypass, recovery of the Civil War submarine The Hunley, and ongoing drainage tunnel projects in downtown Charleston, to name a few; and
Whereas, recognized as a leader in his industry and in the community, Mr. Davis was active in a number of organizations at The Citadel that included the Society of 1842, The Citadel's most prestigious giving society, the Foundation Steering Committee, and Tau Beta Pi's "Eminent Engineers." He also served on the Lander University Foundation, was a past president of the South Carolina Historical Society, and was a life trustee of the Independent Colleges and Universities of South Carolina Foundation; and
Whereas, he stayed active in his community with involvement in such organizations as the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Council of Engineering Companies, which honored him with the "Service to the Profession" award in 2008. He received the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor, from then Governor Mark Sanford, the Presidential Medallion from Piedmont Technical College, the Palmetto Medal from The Citadel Board of Visitors, and in 2017, the Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina inducted Mr. Davis into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame; and
Whereas, his former leadership roles included director of United Telephone Company, chairman of Self Regional Healthcare Hospital, member of Clemson University's Engineering Advisory Board, director and president of The Citadel Development Foundation, and board member and chairman of Erskine College. Mr. Davis received an honorary doctor of engineering from The Citadel and an honorary doctor of science from Erskine College; and
Whereas, a faithful member and an elder in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church until his death May 17, 2017, Mr. Davis was married to the late Mona Ruth Looper Davis. They were blessed with three children and five grandchildren; and
Whereas, it is fitting and proper that the South Carolina General Assembly pay tribute to Mr. Emmett I. Davis, Jr.'s extraordinary life of faith and service by naming a portion of United States Highway 221/South Carolina Highway 72 in his honor. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That members of the South Carolina General Assembly request the Department of Transportation name the portion of United States Highway 221/South Carolina Highway 72 in Greenwood County, from its intersection with United States Highway 25 to its intersection with South Carolina Highway 246 "Emmett I. Davis, Jr. Memorial Highway" and erect appropriate markers along this portion of highway containing this designation.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.
This web page was last updated on April 24, 2018 at 3:13 PM