Jeanne and Hunt Davis

This fund was established in 2006 by Jeanne G. Davis and Dr. R. Hunt Davis, Jr. Hunt is a professor emeritus of history and African studies at the University of Florida. Jeanne is a retired elementary teacher/librarian. They have lived in Gainesville since 1967.

When Hunt was preparing to go to South Africa for his doctoral dissertation research in 1965, he had not been able to do a feasibility study in advance. Thus, when he and Jeanne left the United States for nine months of research in Cape Town and three months of research in London, Hunt anticipated that the material he expected to use would be there, and that it would be valuable. At the time, that was the usual course of action.

Over the years the competition for African research funding has become increasingly competitive. If a person has first-hand knowledge of the projected research site and resources, it leads to a more credible research proposal and the likelihood of success in the application process. Jeanne and Hunt have been long associated with outstanding graduate students in African Studies. They have decided that the most effective gift they could make to the UF Center for African Studies was one that would assist graduate students to prepare for dissertation research in Africa.