James Curran Davis (May 17, 1895 – December 18, 1981) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

from the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

serving in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1947 to 1963. Davis unsuccessfully sought the presidential nomination at the

1956 Democratic National Convention The 1956 Democratic National Convention nominated former Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois for president and Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee for vice president. It was held in the International Amphitheatre on the South Side of Chic ...

Early life

Davis was born on May 17, 1895, in

Franklin, Georgia Franklin is a city in Heard County, Georgia, United States. The population was 993 at the 2010 census, up from 902 at the 2000 census. Franklin is the county seat of Heard County. The city is named after Benjamin Franklin. History Franklin was ...

to Viola (née Mooty) and Thomas Benjamin Davis. He attended Reinhardt College in

Waleska, Georgia Waleska ( ) is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 644 at the 2010 census. History The first white settlement in the Waleska area began in the early 1830s. Among these first pioneer settlers were the Reinhardt, ...

and Emory College in

Oxford, Georgia Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,134. It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. Much of the city is part of the National Parks-designated Oxford Histori ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1919 and started a practice in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Career

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Davis served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

as a private and sergeant from December 24, 1917, to January 11, 1919. He then served in the

Judge Advocate General's Corps The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, is the military justice branch or specialty of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called jud ...

as a first lieutenant and captain. He resumed practicing law after his military service. He served as a state representative of

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missour ...

from 1924 to 1928. He then served as an attorney for the Georgia Department of Industrial Relations from 1928 to 1931 and DeKalb County from 1931 to 1934. He served as a judge of superior court in the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit from 1934 to 1937. Davis was a delegate to the

1948 Democratic National Convention The 1948 Democratic National Convention was held at Philadelphia Convention Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 12 to July 14, 1948, and resulted in the nominations of President Harry S. Truman for a full term and Senator Alben W ...

. He was elected to represent Georgia's 5th congressional district in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. Davis served in Congress from January 3, 1947, to January 3, 1963. Davis was a signatory to the 1956 Southern Manifesto, a document expressing the opposition of Southern congressional representatives to integration. At the

in August, he received 33 votes for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

. His nomination speech was given at the convention by Governor

Marvin Griffin Samuel Marvin Griffin, Sr. (September 4, 1907 – June 13, 1982) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. A lifelong Democrat, Griffin was a native of Bainbridge, Georgia and publisher of the ''Bainbridge Post-Searchligh ...

. He voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Later career

Davis was defeated in his bid for re-election to Congress in 1962 by Charles L. Weltner. He then resumed practicing law. He was the publisher for the Atlanta Times, a conservative newspaper led by Roscoe Pickett, from June 1964 to its closing in September 1965. He also served on the board of directors for the Salem Campground and De Kalb Federal Savings and Loan Association.

Personal life

Davis married Mary Lou Martin on December 26, 1932, in LaGrange, Georgia. She died in 1969. Together, they had one daughter, Mary Martin Davis. He was a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

Death

Davis died in Atlanta on December 18, 1981. He is interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in

Newnan Newnan is a city in Metro Atlanta and the county seat of Coweta County, Georgia, about southwest of Atlanta. Its population was 42,549 at the 2020 census, up from 33,039 in 2010. History Newnan was established as county seat of Coweta Coun ...

References

External links

James C. Davis papers (Emory University)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, James C. 1895 births 1981 deaths Reinhardt University alumni Emory College alumni Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) Candidates in the 1956 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges 20th-century American judges Ku Klux Klan members