Hiawatha Davis, Jr. Papers

Hiawatha Davis was born on 30 April 1944. He grew up in the Denver neighborhood he went on to serve for three decades. He was educated in the Denver Public Schools system. After graduating from Manual High School, Davis studied economics at the University of Colorado.

During the Vietnam era, Davis relocated briefly to the San Francisco Bay Area where he worked as a community activist and organizer. Davis was drafted, but refused to serve due to his military opposition. He was sentenced to eighteen months in prison, but received a presidential pardon from Gerald Ford, thanks, in part, to his community involvement, which entailed training Vista volunteers to work in underprivileged communities, managing youth centers, and directing the Neighborhood Programs for Denver Opportunity.

In 1983, Davis won the Denver City Council seat for District 8. He served five terms before dying from prostate cancer on 24 May 2000. His legacy includes, but is not limited to, initiating economic development, job training, and neighborhood parks projects. Moreover, he fought to halt gang violence and promoted historic preservation.

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The Hiawatha Davis, Jr. Papers (1958-2000) include materials salvaged from his city council office. The bulk of it spans the 1980s. Highlights include photographs of Davis’s local supporters, newspaper articles, reports, and professional correspondence.

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