Dr. Lewis Marion Davis

Title

Dr. Lewis Marion Davis

Description

Dr. Lewis M. Davis, 1919-1997, served as a medical doctor in Greer and was instrumental in the founding of Allen Bennett Memorial Hospital; he was Chief of Staff for the hospital for many years.

birthday

April 19, 1919

Birthplace

Donalds, Abbeville County, South Carolina

Death Date

February 7, 1997

Occupation

Medical doctor

Biographical Text

Dr. Lewis M. Davis was born in Donalds, SC, son of the postmaster. He received an AB degree from Erskine College in 1939 and an MD from the Medical University of South Carolina. He served in the U.S. Army medical corps.

In 1948 he moved to Greer and became a partner with Dr. Frank Woodruff. As a young physician, Dr. Lewis joined Dr. Woodruff in a lobby effort to bring a hospital to Greer; previously it had been served only through doctor's clinics, some in doctors' homes. Once the project began, he assisted with the design and planning of the facility. He practiced surgery in Greer for 37 years, retiring in July, 1985. After his retirement, he was elected commissioner of the Greer Commission for Public Works; he was re-elected in 1992.

Dr. Davis was a deacon and elder at First Presbyterian Church; a member of the Board of Visitors of MUSC; president of the Greer Chamber of Commerce for two terms in 1972; a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons and International College of Surgeons; and a director of the Bank of Greer and United Carolina Bank. He served as a team doctor for Greer High School sports and was elected to the GHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

He is buried in Wood Memorial Park in Duncan, SC. In 2016, Dr. Lewis Davis, Jr. contributed $140,000 to establish an endowed scholarship at Medical University of South Carolina in honor of his father.

Bibliography

"Allen Bennett Hospital traces its roots to 1946." Greer Citizen, 5 Jan. 2000, p. 7.
Greer High School Athletic Hall of Fame. http://www.yellowjacketsports.net/GreerHighHallofFame.html, accessed Feb. 3, 2023.