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During a recent meeting, the Harlan County Fiscal Court took time to recognize a long-standing Harlan County educator, proclaiming Saturday, Oct. 22, to be David L. Davies Day in Harlan County.

Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley brought the matter to the attention of the magistrates.

“I do want to announce something that we’re going to do later this week,” Mosley said. “Someone in our community that I think has been a major influence on a lot of people through the years is someone I’m wanting to recognize. Many of you probably know this individual or may even have been under his direction at one point or another.”

Mosley then named the individual.

“David L. Davies is the founder and past director of the Harlan Boys Choir,” Mosley said. “He graduated from Cumberland Junior College, which is now the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg.”

Mosley told the court Davies holds a Bachelor of Arts degree as well as a Master of Arts Degree in music.

“He began his teaching career in 1955 up at Smith in a one-room school,” Mosley said. “He taught at the Harlan Independent School District from 1958 until 2009, he taught Junior High English, coached Junior High basketball, directed the Junior High Choir and the Harlan United Methodist Church Choir as well.”

Mosley noted Davies served as vice president of the Kentucky Music Educators Association from 1973 until 1975.

“In 1972, he was named Harlan Countian of the Year and was selected by the state Department of Education as Teacher of the Year that same year,” Mosley said. “He retired from teaching in 2009 but has remained very active in the Harlan Boys Choir since that point in time.”

Davies received the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation’s Private Individual Award in April 2019 for recognition of his outstanding service and leadership in the region, Mosley said.

“He directed the Boys Choir in a variety of performances. Most memorable was the Boys Choir and Harlan Musettes performing in the American Musical Salute to the veterans of World War II in Washington, D.C. in 1994,” Mosley said.

Davies also directed the Harlan Boys Choir during the group’s appearance at the inauguration of United States President George H. Bush in 1989.

“This weekend is a reunion weekend here in Harlan, with a football game on Friday night and a musical performance on Saturday (Oct. 22),” Mosley said.

The court accepted the proclamation declaring Saturday, Oct. 22, David L. Davies Day in Harlan County for his contributions in arts education to multiple generations of people in Harlan County.