The arboretum committee orginated in 1959 as the Agriculture Arboretum and Landscape Committee to plan for a teaching aroboretum for the university. The Davis Arboretum has continued to grow since it was first proprosed during a School of Agriculture Teaching Seminar in 1959. Final approval was secured in 1963, and work began with money made available by; Auburn University President Harry Philpott and School of Agriculture Dean and Director E.V. Smith. William J. Reynolds served as the first manager of the Arboretum. He worked tirelessly to develop the site, which contained 216 different labeled plant species, of which 146 were trees. The pavilion and the Arboretum were dedicated on June 15, 1977; and renamed in 1982 for Dr. Donald E. Davis, longtime member of the committee. Six acres of land, which was originally part of the Agronomy Farm, was added to the Arboretum in 1977.This area is the site of an arbor, surrounded by native vines. It was established in recognition of the distinguished career of Henry P. Orr, emeritus professor of horticulture, with funds donated by Southern Living Magazine, garden clubs of Alabama, and Orr's many friends. The primary mission of the Davis Arboretum is: to display and preserve living plant collections and native southeastern plant communities; to inspire an understanding of the natural world and our connection to it; and to promote education, research, and outreach. Today the Arboretum is home to more than 300 native species, and new specimens are constantly being added to the collection. As the University and the City of Auburn continue to increase in size, the Arboretum will increase in value, not only as an area for study, but also as a readily accessible place where a quiet stroll in the woods is still possible. (source:https://auburn.edu/cosam/arboretum/about_us/history.htm)