John E. Davis
John Edward Davis (born April 18, 1913 in Goodrich , Sheridan County , North Dakota , † May 12, 1990 in Rancho Mirage , California ) was an American politician and the 25th governor of the state of North Dakota.
Life
After attending Fargo High School for a few years , Davis graduated from Bismarck High School in 1931 . Later that fall, Davis enrolled at the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks . While at university, he was a candidate for the Beta Theta Pi (ΒΘΠ) fraternity and served in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) , a military training program. He was the senior officer in Scabbard and Blade , an organization of selected ROTC officers. In 1935 he graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in commercial science.
Davis returned to Goodrich and ran his family's estate and farm. In May 1941 he was drafted into the US Army . He was sent first to Fort Snelling and then to Camp Robinson, Arkansas , where he was in command of C Company, 134th Infantry, First Battalion. He was an eyewitness to numerous fights in Europe and received the Purple Heart , Bronze Star and Silver Star awards . He separated on July 31, 1945 from the Army and from Camp McCoy in Wisconsin.
politics
In 1946 Davis was elected Mayor of McClusky , North Dakota and served until 1952. That year he successfully ran for a seat in the North Dakota Senate . He stayed there until 1956 when he became a Republican candidate for governor. He defeated Democrat Wally Warner in the fall election. He was re-elected in 1958 and served again until 1960. In 1960 Davis was a candidate for the United States Senate but was beaten by Quentin N. Burdick . He was again a candidate for the Republican nomination in 1964, but lost to Thomas S. Kleppe . In 1966, Davis received the Sioux Award , the highest honor given to former students at the University of North Dakota.
Davis served as the national commander of the American Legion from 1967 to 1968 and was named director of the Civil Defense Agency by President Richard Nixon in 1969 . In 1972 this agency was renamed the Defense and Civil Readiness Agency. Following his retirement in 1976, he was awarded the Department of Defense Service Medal .
In 1977 Davis returned to North Dakota to run his family's ranch and to serve on the board of directors of the First National Bank of McClusky . In 1978 Davis received the Greater North Dakota Award from the Greater North Dakota Association. He has worked in many organizations such as The Elks, The Masons, The Scottish Rite and The Shrine.
John Davis married Pauline Huntley in 1938. The couple had three children: John Jr., Richard, and Kathleen. In 1978 the couple divorced after living together for 40 years. Two years later, Davis married Marilyn R. Westlie. John E. Davis died on May 12, 1990 in Rancho Mirage, California.
Web links
- John E. Davis in the nndb (English)
- John E. Davis in the National Governors Association (English)
- North Dakota Historical Society
- John E. Davis in the database of Find a Grave (English)
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Davis, John E. |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Davis, John Edward (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American politician |
DATE OF BIRTH | April 18, 1913 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Goodrich , North Dakota |
DATE OF DEATH | May 12, 1990 |
Place of death | Rancho Mirage , California |