SLS 172ES-6 ORIGINAL
2017 Second Extraordinary Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 5
BY SENATOR BISHOP
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Dr. Artis M. Davenport II on his many accomplishments.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Dr. Artis M. Davenport II on his many accomplishments.
3 WHEREAS, Dr. Artis M. Davenport II is a native of Monroe, Louisiana; and
4 WHEREAS, he graduated from Monroe Colored High School in 1944 and in the fall
5 of that year, enrolled at Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, as a regular student; and
6 WHEREAS, in 1946, Dr. Davenport was drafted into the United States Army and
7 after serving in Japan for a year, he returned to Tuskegee and joined the football team,
8 earning his letter as a fullback and linebacker; and
9 WHEREAS, he received his Bachelor of Science in physical education/health and
10 social studies from Tuskegee Institute in 1950; and
11 WHEREAS, he also attended Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge,
12 Louisiana, where he earned a Master of Science in physical education/education
13 administration in 1955 and a Doctor of Education in physical education/educational
14 administration in 1971; and
15 WHEREAS, he began his teaching career as a social studies and physical education
16 instructor at Carrie Martin Elementary and High School in Plain Dealing, Louisiana, and
17 also served as athletic director, head football coach, and head basketball coach; and
18 WHEREAS, Dr. Davenport began his college coaching career at Alcorn State
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1 University in Lorman, Mississippi, where he served as line coach in football and head track
2 coach, leading the track teams to the conference championships each year during his
3 tenure; and
4 WHEREAS, he was also employed at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana,
5 where he served as backfield coach in football, junior varsity basketball coach, and head
6 track coach, leading the track team to the conference championship; and
7 WHEREAS, in 1961, Dr. Davenport transferred to Southern University at New
8 Orleans (SUNO) where he was hired as assistant professor of physical education; and
9 WHEREAS, SUNO did not have an athletic program at that time, and beginning with
10 teams comprised of athletes from the intramural program, the university competed and
11 fought for approval of an athletic program for twelve years before being approved in
12 1972; and
13 WHEREAS, in addition to serving as track coach for thirty-eight years,
14 Dr. Davenport also served as director of men's physical education and as intramural director
15 for nine years, project director for the National Youth Sports Program for ten years,
16 chairman of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department for twenty-eight
17 years, director of athletics for eighteen years, and the university graduation marshal for
18 thirty-four years; and
19 WHEREAS, under his leadership, the track teams at SUNO won seven national track
20 and field championships, and he developed forty individual national track champions, ten
21 national track relay championship teams, nine track and field Olympians, and one hundred
22 seventy-eight track and field All-Americans; and
23 WHEREAS, Dr. Davenport was named National Coach of the Year four times by the
24 National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics and three times by the National Collegiate
25 Athletic Association (NCAA), and had an impressive graduation rate of more than ninety
26 percent when his athletes competed for three or more years; and
27 WHEREAS, he retired from SUNO in 1999, and in 2000, began working at
28 Bethune-Cookman College as a part-time assistant track coach, and was appointed head
29 coach of the women's bowling team in 2004-2005, winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic
30 Conference championship and finishing fourth in the NCAA national bowling
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1 championship; and
2 WHEREAS, Dr. Davenport has been inducted into several halls of fame, including
3 the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, the Tuskegee University Athletic Hall of
4 Fame, and the SUNO Hall of Fame; and
5 WHEREAS, his teaching and coaching experience at the collegiate level spans
6 forty-eight years; and
7 WHEREAS, Dr. Davenport has been the recipient of numerous awards, including
8 coach of the year honors by the NAIA for men and women athletic teams in multiple years,
9 the certificate of appreciation from the Southern University Board of Supervisors for
10 thirty-five years of outstanding and dedicated service to SUNO, an honors plaque from the
11 Nokia Sugar Bowl for outstanding achievement, a certificate of merit from the city of New
12 Orleans for outstanding service, and was presented with a proclamation from the New
13 Orleans City Council for thirty-four years of exemplary leadership and dedication in track
14 and field; and
15 WHEREAS, he has been a member of several professional organizations, including
16 the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, National
17 Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, National Association of Intercollegiate
18 Athletics-Athletics Directors Association, American Alliance of Health, Physical Education,
19 Recreation and Dance, United States Track Coaches Association, National Association of
20 Collegiate Directors of Athletics, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; and
21 WHEREAS, in addition to his many achievements in teaching and coaching,
22 Dr. Artis M. Davenport II has earned the respect and admiration of countless citizens whose
23 lives he has touched; and
24 WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities,
25 and the overall vitality of American society depends, in great measure, upon the dedication
26 of people like Dr. Artis M. Davenport II; and
27 WHEREAS, Dr. Artis M. Davenport II merits the highest commendation and most
28 sincere congratulations upon his accomplishments and achievements as a coach and
29 educator.
30 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
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1 does hereby commend and congratulate Dr. Artis M. Davenport II on his many
2 accomplishments and does hereby wish him continued success in all future endeavors.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
4 Dr. Artis M. Davenport II.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Nancy Vicknair.
DIGEST
SR 5 Original 2017 Second Extraordinary Session Bishop
Commends Dr. Artis M. Davenport II on his many accomplishments.
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