Leon Stafford Davis (August 29, 1895 – May 3, 1968) was a

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and

real estate agent Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

in the U.S. state of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. A Republican, he served in the

Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the State legislature (United States), state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper house, upper and lower chamber: the Oregon State Senate, Sena ...

representing Hillsboro.

Early life

Davis grew up on a farm near the city of

Beaverton, Oregon Beaverton is a city in the Tualatin Valley, located in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon, with a small portion bordering Portland. The city is among the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan area. Its population was ...

, and went to school in that community. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he served in combat, before returning to Washington County, where he worked for the ''

Hillsboro Argus ''The Hillsboro Argus'' was a twice-weekly newspaper in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, from 1894 to 2017, known as the ''Washington County Argus'' for its final year. The ''Argus'' was distributed in Washington County, Oregon, United States. First ...

''.

Political career

During the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, he served as an administrator with Oregon's State Emergency Relief Agency (SERA). Davis served as manager of the Washington County Fair in 1950, and was then elected as the president of the Oregon Fairs Association in 1952. He was then elected to the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...

in 1952, taking office on January 12, 1953, replacing J. O. Johnson in District 4. He won reelections, and served in the House through the 1961 session. District 4 then went to future governor

Victor Atiyeh Victor George Atiyeh (; February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 32nd governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. He was also the first elected governor of Middle Eastern descent and of Syrian descent in the U ...

. After leaving the legislature, Davis ran for Washington County Commissioner in 1964, losing in the November election to Joe Van Dyke. At the time, he owned a real estate firm, and had been elected as president of the Oregon Association of Realtors. Davis died in 1968, with the Oregon Legislature paying tribute the next session in 1969.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Leon Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Politicians from Hillsboro, Oregon 1895 births 1968 deaths American real estate brokers American military personnel of World War I Businesspeople from Oregon 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly