Fred Henry Davis Explained

Fred Henry Davis
Office:Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida
Term Start:January 10, 1933
Term End:January 8, 1935
Predecessor:Rivers H. Buford
Successor:James B. Whitfield
Office1:Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida
Appointer1:Doyle E. Carlton
Term Start1:March 9, 1931
Term End1:June 20, 1937
Predecessor1:Louie W. Strum
Successor1:Roy H. Chapman
Office2:24th Florida Attorney General
Governor2:John W. Martin
Doyle E. Carlton
Term Start2:June 4, 1927
Term End2:March 9, 1931
Predecessor2:J. B. Johnson
Successor2:Cary D. Landis
Office3:Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
Term Start3:1927
Term End3:June 4, 1927
Predecessor3:A. Y. Milam
Successor3:Samuel W. Getzen
State House4:Florida
District4:Leon
Term Start4:1920
Term End4:June 4, 1927
Office5:Prosecuting Attorney for Leon County
Appointer5:Sidney Johnston Catts
Term Start5:1919
Term End5:1920
Office6:Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Term Start6:1917
Term End6:1917
Birth Date:18 May 1894
Birth Place:Greenville, South Carolina, US
Death Place:Jacksonville, Florida, US
Party:Democratic
Children:1
Occupation:Attorney
Allegiance:United States
Branch:Florida Army National Guard
Serviceyears:1917–1927
Rank:Major
Unit:124th Infantry Regiment
Commands:Governor's Guards
Battles:World War I

Fred Henry Davis (May 18, 1894 – June 20, 1937) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Florida, serving as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida from 1933 until 1935.[1]

Early life and military service

Davis was born on May 18, 1894, in Greenville, South Carolina, though he settled in Tallahassee, Florida, with his family at an early age. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1914 and became a practicing attorney in Wakulla County, Florida.[2]

In 1917, Davis, a Democrat, became the Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. He resigned the same year to enlist in the Florida Army National Guard, serving as a private with the 124th Infantry during World War I, though he did not go overseas with the American Expeditionary Force. On December 10, 1918, Davis was discharged from the United States Army and was sent to Camp Hancock, near Augusta, Georgia, to begin his officers' training.[3]

Davis quickly worked his way up the ranks, becoming a lieutenant and later a major in the Army Reserve Corps.[4] Davis commanded Company M of the 124th Infantry, which, in 1924, was designated as the Governor's Guards, a historic infantry unit dating back to the Third Seminole War. Davis retired from the military in 1927.[5]

Political career

After his return to Florida from Camp Hancock in 1919, Davis was appointed as the Prosecuting Attorney for Leon County, Florida, by Governor Sidney Johnson Catts.[6] In 1920, Davis was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, representing Leon County.

He was re-elected in 1922 and 1924. Davis also served as the special counsel for the Florida Railroad Commission in 1925 He was re-elected to the Florida House in 1926 and was selected Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in 1927. He would only serve for a few months, however, as he was appointed the 24th Florida Attorney General on June 4, 1927, by Governor John W. Martin, finishing the term of J. B. Johnson, who had been appointed to a state circuit court. Davis was elected to a full term in 1928.[7]

On March 9, 1931, Governor Doyle E. Carlton appointed Davis to the Supreme Court of Florida.[8] Davis was selected as Chief Justice on January 10, 1933, serving in that role until January 8, 1935. He continued to serve on the bench until his death in 1937.[9]

Personal life

In 1921, Davis married Frances M. Chambers. They had two daughters.

Davis was a practicing Methodist. He was a member of many veterans' organizations, including the American Legion, the Military Order of the World Wars, the Reserve Officers Association, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Additionally, Davis was also a member of several fraternal orders, namely the Freemasons, the Knights Templar, the Shriners, Elks, Lions, Odd Fellows, and Phi Alpha Delta.

Death

On June 20, 1937, Davis died of a sudden heart attack while on a visit to Jacksonville, Florida.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Justice Fred Henry Davis. Supreme Court. en-US. 2019-05-01.
  2. Web site: The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Davis, E to F. politicalgraveyard.com. 2019-05-01.
  3. Web site: Fred H Davis. Florida. State Library and Archives of. Florida Memory. en. 2019-05-01.
  4. Book: Office, United States Adjutant-General's. Official List of Officers of the Officer's Reserve Corps of the Army of the United States: August 31, 1919. 1920. U.S. Government Printing Office. en.
  5. Web site: 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment. www.globalsecurity.org. 2019-05-01.
  6. Web site: Bench and bar of Florida. ufdc.ufl.edu. en. 2019-05-01.
  7. Web site: Florida Attorney General – Florida Attorneys General (1845 –). myfloridalegal.com. 2019-05-01. 2019-03-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090700/http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/4492d797dc0bd92f85256cb80055fb97/21d3e99c36cfb89385256cc60071795b!OpenDocument. dead.
  8. Web site: Florida Governors. Florida. State Library and Archives of. Florida Memory. en. 2019-05-01.
  9. Web site: Chief Justices List. Supreme Court. en-US. 2019-05-01.