Decorations and Honors
At the time of Davis's retirement, he held the rank of lieutenant general, but on December 9, 1998 President Bill Clinton awarded him a fourth star, raising him to the rank of full general. After retirement, he headed the federal sky marshal program, and in 1971 was named Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Environment, Safety, and Consumer Affairs. Overseeing the development of airport security and highway safety, Davis was one of the chief proponents of the 55 mile per hour speed limit to save gasoline and lives. He retired from the Department of Transportation in 1975, and in 1978 served on the American Battle Monuments Commission, on which his father had served decades before. In 1991, he published his autobiography, Benjamin O. Davis Jr.: American (Smithsonian Institution Press). He is a 1992 recipient of the Langley Gold Medal from the Smithsonian Institution.
His Military decorations included the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Philippine Legion of Honor.
In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr High School Detroit, MI, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Middle School in Compton, CA, as well as the former Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Aviation High School in Cleveland, OH are named in his honor. The future Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. High School of the Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas will begin classes for the 2012-2013 school year.
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Famous quotes containing the words decorations and/or honors:
“Let the realist not mind appearances. Let him delegate to others the costly courtesies and decorations of social life. The virtues are economists, but some of the vices are also. Thus, next to humility, I have noticed that pride is a pretty good husband. A good pride is, as I reckon it, worth from five hundred to fifteen hundred a year.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“There is a moment when god honors falsehood.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)