Supervisors declare July 11 Arlene Davis Day in Pittsylvania County

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - During Tuesday’s Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors meeting, a hometown woman received a special recognition.

We first told you about Arlene Davis a few weeks ago. She was born on a tobacco farm, dropped out of school in eighth grade and began cleaning houses to support her family.

Eventually, she made her way to the White House, where she joined a cleaning staff working under seven presidents.

Davis moved to Hurt after she retired in 1994 and has lived there ever since. Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors declared her birthday, July 11, as Arlene Davis Day in the county.

“Her trustworthiness at the highest levels made her a respected source of knowledge,” said Pittsylvania County NAACP President and CEO Anita Royston. “She exemplifies the journey of learning from experience, developing expertise and guiding others towards professionalism. Her longevity speaks to a job well done.”

Davis served in the White House from 1967 to 1994, serving Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. Davis had the opportunity to meeting many important people, including Nelson Mandela. Her initial pay was $1.53 an hour.

During the recognition, board members read letters for Davis from Congressman Bob Good, whom board member Timothy Dudley said would recognize Davis on the floor of Congress.

You can watch the full presentation to Davis here.

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