Dr. Ellwood Davis Downing (1891-1963), was the second African American dentist to have a practice in Roanoke and was an active community leader. He served in the military and on the boards of numerous medical, civic, and service organizations. Additionally, Dr. Downing was a nationally ranked tennis player who helped expand the sport for Black athletes.
Dr. Downing was born in Atlantic City, NJ, to Rev. Dr. Lylburn L. Downing and Lottie Jackson Clinton Downing. The family moved to Roanoke in 1894, when Rev. Downing became pastor of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. Dr. Downing graduated from Biddle University (Johnson C. Smith University) in 1910, followed by dental school at Howard University.
Medical Career
Dr. Downing returned to Roanoke and opened a dental practice at 36 Centre Avenue, NW. In 1925 he became a staff dentist at Burrell Memorial Hospital, where his brother Dr. Lylburn C. Downing was a co-founder and superintendent. For six years Downing served as an instructor at Burrell’s Nurse Training School. In 1948 Dr. Downing became chairman of Burrell’s board of trustees, a role which he held for nine years. In addition to running his practice, for many years Dr. Downing treated children at clinics in Roanoke City Public Schools.
During World War I, Dr. Downing served as first lieutenant in the army dental corps. He assisted the war effort during WWII as an examining dentist in the selective service system and by serving as the commanding officer of the Maggie L. Walker Ambulance Corps.
Dr. Downing was an active member of many dental and medical associations during the 1920s and 1930s:
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- President, Vice President, Old Dominion State Dental Association
- Member, National Medical Association House of Delegates
- Associate Editor, Dental Section, Journal of the National Medical Association
- President, Magic City Medical Society
- Vice President from Virginia, Interstate Dental Association
Tennis Career
Dr. Downing had a lifelong passion for tennis. He was a two-time holder of the American Tennis Association’s National Doubles Tennis Championship, and for 11 years in the 1930s, he was in the association’s top ten ranking for singles. From 1930 until his death in 1963, he was the ATA’s general field secretary. In this role, he improved conditions for Black tennis players, fighting successfully for better coaches, more courts, and additional programs at African-American colleges.
Activism and Additional Accomplishments
Dr. Downing was a dedicated activist for civil rights. He was a leading member of the Colored City Recreation Committee and the Roanoke Committee on Interracial Cooperation. In May 1960 he was part of a group that peacefully negotiated the desegregation of Roanoke lunch counters.
Dr. Downing was a lifelong member of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, headed by his father. He became chairman of the church’s board in 1924. He was a member of a number of regional and national committees of the Presbyterian Church, and participated in a 1960 mission to Puerto Rico.
In addition, Dr. Downing was president of the Hunton Branch YMCA for 20 years, and he served on the Roanoke City Library Board. He was involved with the Community Chest and Red Cross and was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the Odd Fellows, the Elks, and the Freemasons.
Sources
City dentist, leader, dies. (n.d.). [Newspaper article]. Gainsboro Library Vertical Files, Roanoke, VA, United States.
Doctor E.D. Downing dead: Found slump in a chair at office desk. (1963, Oct. 13). The Roanoke Tribune.
Freis, R. (2017, Dec.). The Reverend Lylburn Downing, Presbyterian minister: Beyond blue & gray. Discover History & Heritage, The Roanoke Times.
Loux, J. R. (2016). Ellwood Davis Downing (1891–1963). Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Library of Virginia. http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/dvb/bio.asp?b=Downing_Ellwood_Davis