Congressional Representative Danny K. Davis, Ph.D., of Chicago, Illinois, will be the keynote speaker at the June 1st commencement of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University. Some 165 medical students are expected to graduate at the ceremony, which will begin at 9:30 AM in the library auditorium on campus, which is located at 555 31st Street in Downers Grove.
Dr. Davis is currently serving his third term as representative from the 7th Congressional District, a position he has held since November 1996. He has distinguished himself as an articulate voice for his constituents and as an effective legislator to move major bills to passage despite his relative lack of seniority. Dr. Davis' initiative to quadruple the Access to Jobs funding in the 105th Congress, one of only two successful amendments to the transportation authorization bill, and his development of the Community Renewal Act in the 106th Congress, designed to bring investment and jobs to economically impacted communities, are prime examples of his successes.
In the 107th Congress, Dr. Davis is a dynamic member of several organizations: the Committee on Government Reform and its Subcommittee on Civil Service, the Committee on Small Business and its Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs, the Subcommittee on the Census, and the Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports. He is also a member of the Black Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, the India Caucus, the Steel Caucus, and the Hellenic Caucus in addition to being a Regional Whip in the Democratic Caucus. An energetic style of communication and interaction with his constituents has allowed Dr. Davis to set up dozens of advisory task forces to consider significant questions of public policy. He hosts several weekly TV and radio shows that feature audience call-in, and produces regular written reports to every household in the district.
Dr. Davis moved to the West Side of Chicago in 1961 from Parkdale, Arkansas, after having received a bachelor's degree from Arkansas A.M. & N. College. He went on to earn a master's degree from Chicago State University and a doctorate from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to his election to Congress, Dr. Davis served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and on the Chicago City Council as alderman of the 29th Ward. In 1983 he was a member of the Harold Washington Campaign Committee and Transition Team, and in 1992, a cochair of the Clinton/Gore/Braun campaigns.
Before seeking public office Dr. Davis had productive careers as an educator, community organizer, health planner, administrator, and civil rights advocate. He has received hundreds of awards and citations for outstanding work in the areas of health, education, human relations, politics, and advocacy.
Midwestern University is an upper-division undergraduate and graduate degree-granting institution specializing in the health sciences with five colleges--the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Chicago College of Pharmacy, the College of Health Sciences, the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the College of Pharmacy-Glendale. The Illinois campus is located on a 105-acre site in Downers Grove, a western suburb of Chicago, and is home to over 1,675 full-time students. The University is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools.
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