For the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, see George R. Davis (New York)

George R. Davis (New York)

George Rex Davis was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1831 and 1843....

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George Royal Davis (January 3, 1840 – November 25, 1899) was a U.S. Representative

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

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Early life and education

Born in Palmer, Massachusetts

Palmer, Massachusetts

The Town of Palmer is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,140 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Davis completed classical studies at Williston Seminary, Easthampton, Massachusetts

Easthampton, Massachusetts

Easthampton is the second largest city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is on the southeastern edge of an area called the Pioneer Valley near the five colleges in the college towns of Northampton and Amherst, MA...

, and was graduated in 1860. Afterwards he studied law.

Civil War military service

Davis entered the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 in July 1862 and served as captain in the Eighth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and as major in the Third Regiment, Rhode Island Volunteer Cavalry.

Early career

Following the war Davis engaged in manufacturing, the insurance business, and as financial agent at Chicago, Illinois.

Military career

Davis later served as member of the State militia and senior colonel of the First Regiment, Illinois National Guard.

Political career

Davis was elected as a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 to the 46th

46th United States Congress

The Forty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1879 to March 4, 1881, during the last two years of...

, 47th

47th United States Congress

The Forty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1881 to March 4, 1883, during the administration...

, and 48th

48th United States Congress

The Forty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883 to March 4, 1885, during the last two years...

 Congresses (March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1885). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1884.

Business career

Davis chose to end his political career and resume his former business pursuits. He served as treasurer of Cook County, Illinois

Cook County, Illinois

Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...

 from 1886 to 1890. He served as director general of the World's Columbian Exposition

World's Columbian Exposition

The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...

 at Chicago in 1893.

Death

Davis died in Chicago, and was interred in Rosehill Cemetery

Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago

Rosehill Cemetery is a Victorian era cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. The name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the area was previously called "Roe's Hill", named for nearby farmer Hiram Roe...

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External links