Cecil Burke Day (December 10, 1934 – December 15, 1978) was an American hotelier, known for founding the hotel chain

Days Inn Days Inn is a hotel chain headquartered in the United States. It was founded in 1970 by Cecil B. Day, who opened the first location in Tybee Island, Georgia. The brand is now a part of the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, headquartered in Parsippany ...

Biography

Day studied at

Mercer University Mercer University is a Private university, private Research university, research university in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the s ...

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

, but withdrew prior to graduation to join the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

. After the Marine Corps, Day studied at the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public university, public research university and Institute of technology (United States), institute of technology in Atlanta, ...

; he was a member of

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon () is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on March 9, 1856.Baird, William Raimond, ed. (1905).Baird's Manual of American College Fratern ...

fraternity and graduated with a degree in Industrial Management in 1958. Day owned real estate in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. He sold a duplex for $4,000,000 and used the funds to open the first Days Inn hotel, which was located on

Tybee Island, Georgia Tybee Island ( ) is a city and a barrier island in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah. The name is used for both the city and the island, but geographically the two are not identical: only part of the island's terri ...

. Day coined the phrase "budget-luxury" and expanded his hotel chain with great success building a large network of franchise hotels. Day had five children and was

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...

. He died of cancer in 1978.

Foundation

Cecil B. Day founded the Day Foundation which supported evangelical churches, organizations and Bible Colleges.

Places named in his honor

* The Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus of

in Atlanta, Georgia *The Cecil B. Day Chapel a
The Carter Center
in Atlanta, Georgia
Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration
at

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is al ...

* Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center at

Callaway Gardens Callaway Resort & Gardens is a resort complex located near Pine Mountain, Harris County, Georgia, Pine Mountain in Harris County, Georgia, from LaGrange, Georgia. The world's largest azalea garden, this destination draws over 750,000 visitors a ...

Pine Mountain, Georgia Pine Mountain is a town in Harris and Meriwether counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,216. The Harris County portion of Pine Mountain is part of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, while ...

* Cecil B. Day Fitness Center at Dunwoody Baptist Church in

Dunwoody, Georgia Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. As a Atlanta metropolitan area, northern suburb of Atlanta, Dunwoody is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008, but its area ...

* Day Chapel at Atlanta's Perimeter ChurchPerimeter Church dedicates new facility in honor of local entrepreneur
Retrieved 2010-Oct-12.] * Cecil B. Day Auditorium at the North American Mission Board Headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia

Images

Image:Day butterfly center.jpg, Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center

References

American hoteliers 1934 births 1979 deaths Mercer University alumni Georgia Tech alumni 20th-century American businesspeople People from Bulloch County, Georgia Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state) Sigma Alpha Epsilon members {{GeorgiaUS-bio-stub