United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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DAVIS, John William

DAVIS, John William
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
DAVIS, John William
1916–1992

Office

Representative

State/Territory

Georgia

Party

Democrat

Congress(es)

87th (1961–1963), 88th (1963–1965), 89th (1965–1967), 90th (1967–1969), 91st (1969–1971), 92nd (1971–1973), 93rd (1973–1975)

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Concise Biography

DAVIS, John William, a Representative from Georgia; born in Rome, Floyd County, Ga., September 12, 1916; attended the public schools; University of Georgia at Athens, A.B., 1937 and from the law school of the same university, LL.B., 1939; admitted to the bar in 1939 and commenced practice in Rome, Ga.; served in the War Department Headquarters from July 1942 to December 1945, and assigned to the Counter Intelligence Corps, serving for a time in South America; moved to Summerville, Ga., in 1946 and resumed the practice of law; solicitor general of the Rome Circuit from December 27, 1950 to January 1, 1953; elected judge of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit for six years, and served from January 1, 1955, until his resignation December 31, 1960; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-seventh and to the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1961-January 3, 1975); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1974 to the Ninety-fourth Congress; resumed the practice of law; was a resident of St. Simons Island, Ga., until his death on October 3, 1992; interment at Oglethorpe Memorial Gardens, St. Simons Island, Ga.

View Record in the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress

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External Research Collections

Georgia Department of Archives and History

Atlanta, GA
Papers: In File II Names. File is primarily incoming correspondence to the Governor of Georgia. Finding aid in repository.

University of Georgia
Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

Athens, GA
Papers: ca. 1941-1974, 148 linear feet. The collection consists of personal and congressional papers of John William Davis, Jr. mainly from 1958-1992. Includes speech and press files (1960-1974); personal files containing thank yous, invitations, congratulations, and condolences (1961-1974); appointment records (1973-1974); legislative files containing bills and committee material (1957-1974); general files containing correspondence relating to federal agencies, counties, and constituents (1941, 1958-1974); files relating to federal funding received for projects within the 7th Congressional District of Georgia (1972-1974); and files relating to federal funding of watershed projects in the 7th Congressional District of Georgia (1963-1970). Case files closed for a period of 75 years after their creation. A finding aid is available in the repository.
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Bibliography / Further Reading

Bullock, Charles S., and Catherine Rudder. "The Case of the Right-wing Urologist: The Seventh District of Georgia." In The Making of Congressmen: Seven Campaigns of 1974, edited by Alan L. Clem, pp. 55-92. North Scituate, MA: Duxbury Press, 1976.

Ralph Nader Congress Project. Citizens Look at Congress: John W. Davis, Democratic Representative from Georgia. Washington, D. C.: Grossman Publishers, 1972.

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov