Barbara Davis
Barbara Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Barbara Levine October 9, 1930 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | Philanthropy, founder of Children's Diabetes Foundation |
Barbara Davis (born Levine on October 9, 1930) is a prominent American billionaire philanthropist and the widow of industrial magnate Marvin Davis.
Early life
Davis was born in New York City and completed her studies at Adelphi University in 1951.
Philanthropy
In 1977, she established the Children's Diabetes Foundation. Beginning in 1978, Davis has been the driving force behind the biennial black-tie event Carousel of Hope Ball, which raises funds dedicated to juvenile diabetes. The revenue benefits both the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes located in Aurora, Colorado and the Children's Diabetes Foundation.
Her involvement extends to serving on the Boards of Trustees for several institutions, including the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Race to Erase MS based in Los Angeles, and the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. Furthermore, she holds a position on the Blue Ribbon Panel for the Los Angeles Music Center.
Throughout her philanthropic career, Davis has been honored with multiple awards such as the Promise Ball Humanitarian Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International (JDRF) in 1992, an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters awarded by the University of Colorado in 1995, and the Angel Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Los Angeles in 2004.
Personal life
In 1951, she wed Marvin Davis (1925–2004), with whom she had five children: Patricia Davis Raynes; John Davis; Nancy Davis Rickel, mother of actor Jason Davis; Gregg Davis, father to Whitney and Chad Davis; and Dana Davis.
The family resided in Denver, Colorado from 1951 until 1985 before moving to their estate known as The Knoll in Beverly Hills, California. Following Marvin Davis's passing, Barbara sold this property for $46 million and relocated to a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel. In 2011, she placed a condominium on the Wilshire Corridor in Westwood, Los Angeles on the market.
Her net worth was estimated at $2.5 billion as of 2006.