Glenn Robert Davis (October 28, 1914 – September 21, 1988) was an American educator and lawyer who served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

for

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. He represented

Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southern Wisconsin, covering Dane County, Iowa County, Lafayette County, Sauk County and Green County, as well as portions of ...

from April 22, 1947 to January 3, 1957, and Wisconsin's 9th congressional district from January 3, 1965 to December 31, 1974.

Early life and education

Davis was born on a small farm to a poor family in

Vernon, Wisconsin Vernon is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,474 at the 2020 census. Former Communities * Dodges Corners was an unincorporated community and is now a ghost town at the intersection of County Road L (f ...

. He excelled academically despite pressure from his father to forsake school for farming. He skipped several grades and was a teacher of the younger children in his one-room school house before he graduated three years early from

Mukwonago High School Mukwonago High School is located in Mukwonago in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Mukwonago Area School District. Approximately 1700 students attend the school, which has over 150 staff members. The original build ...

in 1930 at 15.

Early career

Davis attended the Platteville State Teachers College (now the

University of Wisconsin–Platteville University of Wisconsin–Platteville (UW–Platteville or UW Platt) is a public university in Platteville, Wisconsin, United States. Part of the University of Wisconsin System, it offers bachelor's degree, bachelor's and Master's degree, master ...

) with a donation from his mother (who had been hiding the money from her husband for just such an occasion). He majored in education and went on to teach high school at Cottage Grove and

Waupun Waupun is a city in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 11,344 at the 2020 census. Of this, 7,795 were in Dodge County, and 3,549 were in Fond du Lac County. In Fond du Lac County, the Town of Waup ...

for five years. Davis then went back to school, earning a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

in 1940. After passing the bar, Davis opened a law firm in

Waukesha, Wisconsin Waukesha ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 71,158 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River adjacent to th ...

. From this perch, he launched his first campaign for public office, with a successful bid for the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

in 1940. He later lived in

New Berlin, Wisconsin New Berlin () is a city in eastern Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 40,451 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Pronunciation Area residents put the accent on ...

, and

Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Wauwatosa ( ; colloquially Tosa) is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 48,387 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Wauwatosa is a suburb located immediately west of Milwaukee and is part of the Milwa ...

Military service

After a year in the legislature, Davis resigned his seat to join the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

, after the Japanese attack on

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

. Lieutenant Davis served as the Communications officer aboard the USS ''Sangamon'' (CVE-26), an escort carrier. The ship sustained a

kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...

attack in the latter days of the war off of

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

, which Davis survived.

Political career

Davis resumed the practice of law after being honorably discharged from the Navy, on December 12, 1945. He also stepped up his involvement in politics, serving briefly as a local court commissioner and attending Republican Party functions. Davis was elected as a delegate to every

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

from 1952 to 1972.

Congress

In 1947, Davis ran in the special election to succeed

Robert Kirkland Henry Robert Kirkland Henry (February 9, 1890 – November 20, 1946) was a banker and politician from Wisconsin. As a Democrat, he served as Wisconsin State Treasurer. As a Republican, he served in the United States House of Representatives. B ...

, a Republican congressman who died just weeks after being elected to a second term. Davis served five terms in the House of Representatives representing Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, before deciding to seek higher office in 1956. Instead of running for reelection, he launched an unsuccessful primary challenge to incumbent Republican Senator

Alexander Wiley Alexander Wiley (May 26, 1884 – October 26, 1967) was an American politician who served four terms in the United States Senate for the state of Wisconsin from 1939 to 1963. When he left the Senate, he was its most senior Republican member. ...

. In 1957, Davis lobbied unsuccessfully to become the GOP candidate in the special election to replace the late Senator

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican United States Senate, U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age ...

. The Republican nod instead went to former Gov.

Walter J. Kohler Jr. Walter Jodok Kohler Jr. (April 4, 1904 – March 21, 1976) was a member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin and was the 33rd governor of Wisconsin, serving three terms from 1951 to 1957. He was a leading figure in state and national Republican ...

, who went on to lose the seat to Democrat

William Proxmire Edward William Proxmire (November 11, 1915 – December 15, 2005) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Wisconsin from 1957 ...

. Davis subsequently returned to his law practice. Eight years later, in 1964, Davis made a successful comeback bid by winning the open ninth congressional district, left open due to redistricting. He served another four terms before losing in the 1974 primary to a conservative up-and-comer, State Senator

Bob Kasten Robert Walter Kasten Jr. (born June 19, 1942) is an American Republican politician from the state of Wisconsin who served as a U.S. Representative from 1975 to 1979 and as a United States Senator from 1981 to 1993. Background Kasten was born ...

. Davis felt he was hurt by the then-unpopular pardon of

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

by then President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

on the Sunday before the primary election. Davis had been closely associated with Ford and Nixon, being in the Oval Office the night the former president (Nixon) resigned. Davis's congressional service was marked by a generally conservative record that grew more moderate in the early 1970s. He achieved perhaps his greatest mark as a close friend and golf partner of House Minority Leader

. Davis was also the star

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

for the "Washington Senators," a recreational baseball team made up solely of congressmen. To this day, Davis remains the sole native of Waukesha County to have held congressional office. Davis voted in favor of the

Voting Rights Act The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movem ...

and

Civil Rights Act of 1968 The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a Lists of landmark court decisions, landmark law in the United States signed into law by President of the United States, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots. Titles ...

Later years

After his loss in the primary, Davis resigned on December 31, 1974, just days before his term would have otherwise ended. He moved permanently to

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

. Davis worked as a consultant for Potter International, Inc. from 1975 to 1983.

Death and legacy

Davis died in Arlington on September 21, 1988 at the age of 73. Part of Davis's legacy is the Glenn R. Davis Charitable Foundation, a scholarship organization funded and administered by his family. The Glenn Davis Charitable Foundation gives a monetary award to one graduating student in each Waukesha County high school every year. The award is granted to a student who has done something to overcome substantial obstacles, reflecting Davis's own rise from a family of pickle farmers to U.S. congressman.

Family

Glenn Davis' son J. Mac Davis formerly served as a

Wisconsin Circuit Court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 9 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and crimina ...

judge, Waukesha County, and a Wisconsin State Senator.Judge J. Mac Davis, Waukesha County, Wisconsin Circuit Court

References

*Smith, Kevin B.,
The Iron Man: The Life and Times of Congressman Glenn R. Davis
. Lanham, Md.; University Press of America and Glenn Davis Charitable Foundation, Ltd., 1994.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Glenn Robert 1914 births 1988 deaths People from Vernon, Wisconsin Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly University of Wisconsin Law School alumni Virginia Republicans Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Platteville alumni Politicians from Waukesha, Wisconsin People from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin People from New Berlin, Wisconsin Politicians from Waukesha County, Wisconsin 20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives United States Navy personnel of World War II