D. W. Davis
Encyclopedia
David William Davis was the 12th Governor of Idaho, serving from 1919 to 1923.
Davis was born in Cardiff
, Wales. His family immigrated to the United States in 1875, and settled in Rippey
, Iowa. At the age of twelve, Davis went to work in the coal mines to support his widowed mother.
He left the mines, finding work as a manager of the Farmer's Cooperative Association and as a bank cashier. He spent a brief stint in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of Petty Officer, First Class after distinguished service in the Philippines. After moving to American Falls
, Idaho, Davis founded the First National Bank of American Falls.
He entered politics in 1912, serving as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. He also served as a member of the Idaho State Senate from 1913 to 1915.
Davis won the Republican nomination for governor in 1916, but was narrowly defeated by the Democratic
incumbent, Moses Alexander
. Davis was nominated again in 1918 and defeated Democrat H. F. Samuels
. He was reelected in 1920 after a tough election battle, in part due to a clerical error on his military discharge papers that made it appear as if he had received a dishonorable discharge.
During his tenure, funding was sanctioned for the establishment of the bureau of budget and taxation; as well as, a veteran's welfare program and a teacher's pension system. A road-building program was initiated, the state's statutes were reorganized, the state's administrative agencies were unified, and three constitutional amendments were sanctioned.
Davis left office on January 1, 1923. Two months later, he was appointed as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Interior, to supervise the United States Reclamation Service, and served until 1924. He then served from 1924 to 1932 as commissioner of reclamation and director of finance for the Interior Department, and for a short time in 1931 as a special advisor to President Herbert Hoover
.
Governor David W. Davis died on August 5, 1959, and was buried at the Cloverdale Cemetery in Boise, Idaho.
Davis was born in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales. His family immigrated to the United States in 1875, and settled in Rippey
Rippey, Iowa
Rippey is a city in Greene County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 319.-Geography:Rippey is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Iowa. At the age of twelve, Davis went to work in the coal mines to support his widowed mother.
He left the mines, finding work as a manager of the Farmer's Cooperative Association and as a bank cashier. He spent a brief stint in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of Petty Officer, First Class after distinguished service in the Philippines. After moving to American Falls
American Falls, Idaho
American Falls is a city in and the county seat of Power County, Idaho, United States. The population was 4,111 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Idaho, Davis founded the First National Bank of American Falls.
He entered politics in 1912, serving as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. He also served as a member of the Idaho State Senate from 1913 to 1915.
Davis won the Republican nomination for governor in 1916, but was narrowly defeated by the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
incumbent, Moses Alexander
Moses Alexander
Moses Alexander was the second elected Jewish governor of a US state , serving as the 11th Governor of Idaho from 1915 until 1919. He was Idaho's first and so far only Jewish Governor....
. Davis was nominated again in 1918 and defeated Democrat H. F. Samuels
H. F. Samuels
H. F. Samuels was the leading spokesman of the Idaho chapter of the Non-Partisan League and later the Idaho Progressive Party in the 1910s and 1920s.Samuels became a multi-millionaire in the mining industry in northern Idaho...
. He was reelected in 1920 after a tough election battle, in part due to a clerical error on his military discharge papers that made it appear as if he had received a dishonorable discharge.
During his tenure, funding was sanctioned for the establishment of the bureau of budget and taxation; as well as, a veteran's welfare program and a teacher's pension system. A road-building program was initiated, the state's statutes were reorganized, the state's administrative agencies were unified, and three constitutional amendments were sanctioned.
Davis left office on January 1, 1923. Two months later, he was appointed as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Interior, to supervise the United States Reclamation Service, and served until 1924. He then served from 1924 to 1932 as commissioner of reclamation and director of finance for the Interior Department, and for a short time in 1931 as a special advisor to President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
.
Governor David W. Davis died on August 5, 1959, and was buried at the Cloverdale Cemetery in Boise, Idaho.