Barbara '70 and Robert '70 Davis
Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award, 2003
Rob and Barb Davis have served Butler most of their lives as
students, alumni and parents. Rob graduated from Butler in 1970
with a degree in accounting, and went on to earn a J.D. from the
University of Virginia. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta
fraternity. Barb earned a Butler degree in Spanish in 1970 magna
cum laude and belonged to Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
Rob became a partner with Chapman & Cutler in Chicago. He
practiced in corporate finance, focusing on facility and aircraft
financing and international transactions. Barb has taught Spanish
at various schools throughout her career; she is currently teaching
at Sears School in Kenilworth, Ill.
Rob and Barb have been staunch supporters of the Chicago area
alumni chapter and have hosted numerous events at their home. They
have taken part in various college fairs and parent panels, as well
as participating in the university's Partnership for Excellence
Campaign in 1993. Rob served on the Alumni Association Board of
Directors from 1992-1996, serving as president his final year. He
represented the alumni board on the board of trustees from
1995-1997.
Barb earned a masters in library science from Lake Forest
College in 2001. Her book, Affectionately Yours: The Civil War
Letters of the Ovid Butler Family , was published through the
Indiana Historical Society in cooperation with the Irvington
Historical Society in Indianapolis.
The Davis' have two children, Susan '00 and Scot. Barb's father
is Capt. Ovid McMaster "Mack" Butler, a retired Navy man and a
descendent of university founder Ovid Butler. Many of their family
members are Butler alumni.
Updated 2003