One is a constitutional scholar. The other, one of only a few hundred African-American men still alive who served with the famed black cavalry. Both men blazed their own paths and became living legends.

Abraham L. Davis (PhD, Political Science, 1969) and John B. Williams (BA Fine Arts, 1950) are the recipients of the 2010 African American Alumni Society Samella Lewis Professional Achievement Award for their career accomplishments and impact and service to Ohio State and the broader community.

Davis joined the political science faculty at Morehouse College in the late 1960’s, serving twice as department chair. He has authored numerous books, including The Supreme Court, Race and Civil Rights, the landmark text on the Supreme Court’s role in civil rights, which is used in undergraduate classrooms throughout the country. Davis retired from Morehouse College in 2008 and currently serves, as a consultant, with the U. S. State Department.

Williams, a native of Columbus, Ohio, served in World War II as part of the legendary Buffalo Soldiers, WWII’s first African American Infantry Combat Unit in Europe. As a member of the 28^th Cavalry Regiment, he helped build the Pontoon Bridge over the Rhine River, allowing heavy equipment and tanks to cross over and defeat the German military. After the war, Williams returned to Columbus and worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 39 years. He volunteers his time and love to the Greater Linden Community and his church and he remains a senior columnist for The Columbus Post newspaper.

Davis and Williams will be recognized by the Ohio State Alumni Association during the All Decade African American Alumni Reunion Gala on May 1. For more information on the Reunion Gala, visit the Ohio State Alumni Association website.