is honored for his work in the humanities as an historian and scholar of Illinois history. Dr. Davis is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Illinois-Springfield and from 1988 to 2000 served as Director and Senior Editor of the Lincoln Legal Papers. Since the publication of the Complete First Documentary Edition of the papers in 2000, Dr. Davis has served as the project''s Consulting Editor. He served for 15 years as the founding Director of the Oral History Office at Sangamon State University (now UIS) and also helped found the University''s M.A. program in public history. A Lincoln scholar, Dr. Davis served on the Board and as past President of the Abraham Lincoln Association. He is also an active member of the Sangamon State Historical Society, where he served as President in 1992. Dr. Davis''s commitment to the humanities was of course also reflected in his service as a Board member and past Chairman of the Board of the Illinois Humanities Council. Dr. Davis has brought the history of his scholarship to life for Springfield residents in his living history portrayal of his ancestor, Shelby Cullom Davis, and through his frequent speaking engagements on historical topics. His commitment to education in Springfield dates back to the early 1970''s, when he worked to desegregate and generally improve the public schools in the area.
Select Illinois Humanities Council programs are now available for listening or download at Chicago Public Media (WBEZ) as a part of Chicago Amplified, a web-based audio library of diverse public events recorded throughout the Chicago region.
