Black History

Bouncing Baby Boys In 1944 Article Show Up At NJG – 82 Years Later!

Eighty-two years after making headlines as the first twins born at Norfolk’s newly opened DePaul Hospital, Paul and Vincent Davis returned to the New Journal and Guide to share their remarkable life stories and reconnect with the newspaper that first introduced them to the community in 1944.
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By Brenda H. Andrews
NJG Publisher
NORFOLK/NJG Newswire

In our recent July 9-15, 2026 issue, we carried the story and image of the Davis Twins in our Archives section. They made big community news in 1944 in the newspaper as the first twins – Black or White – to be delivered at then newly built DePaul Hospital in Norfolk. Twins – Paul Kennedy and Vincent Eugene–were the newborns of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Eugene Davis of Norfolk. After our archived story appeared, so did the Davis Twins to our office, now 82-years-old, still bouncing, and living locally.

Since our first story, the twins had different stories to tell about their life journeys after graduating in 1962 from Booker T. Washington High School. Though they still have a natural tendency to finish each other’s sentences, both are bachelors, and they are proud five generational members of Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church in Norfolk, their paths have been totally different.

Paul was drafted into the Army and served two years in Vietnam. He spent 40 years working for the U.S. Post Office, including in California, before returning to Norfolk and retiring after 20 years here.

Vincent lived in Michigan for a while with their sister as he worked on carving out a “space for his life.” Later, he attended NSU and spent 20 years at the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, where he retired.

The twins are the last of the Davis Clan and said their three older sisters treated them like “princes” as they were growing up. Each twin has been married, but is now single, and Vincent has two sons.

As they prepared to leave my office, Vincent offered information that Brother Paul loves to line dance and was headed out the following day to New Orleans for a national line dance event. He said his “bum knee” prevents him from following suit.

Brother Paul let it be known in his own words that “if you don’t stay active, you’ll end up on the couch eating potato chips.” And clearly, he said, that was not for him!