About the Davis Center

The Davis Center traces its roots to the spring of 1988 when the student-led Coalition Against Racist Education (CARE) took over Jenness House, the temporary home of the Dean of the College. Among students’ demands was a multicultural center, which opened a year later in the building students had occupied. In time the center expanded into Rice and Hardy houses, and, in 2012, the complex was renamed the Davis Center in honor of W. Allison Davis ’24 and John A. Davis ’33.

The reimagined Davis Center officially opened in April 2024 after a substantial renovation and expansion. The new complex is a dedicated space that symbolizes the college’s commitment to and progress toward a fully inclusive community. As a hub of programs and spaces supporting historically underrepresented communities within the larger Williams family, the center advances broad campus engagement with complex issues of identity, history and cultures as they affect intellectual, creative and social life.