The border vidette., 1924-10-25
OF JOHN w. DAVIS.
(By courtesy of Theodore A.
Huntley, autho: Of The
Life of John w. Davis.

John W. Davis was born in
the mountain community of
Ciarksburg, West Virginia, on
western slope of the Blue Ridge,
on April 13, 1873. His educa
ton, character, and public. ser
vice have been compared with
those of Thomas Jefferson, who
also was born on April 13, 1743-
13O years earlier to the day--in
a similar community on the east
ern slope of the Blue Ridge.
Davis, like Jefferson, came OF
frontier fore bears. His ancest
ors for the most part were Scotch
Presbyte terians, with Quaker
strain on his mothers side. His
grandfather, John Davis, emf
grated to Clarksburg from Wood
stock. Virginia, about 1920, and
became sheriff OF Harrison coun
ty. He founded the West Vir
ginia line which produced John
W. Davis. He was a strict Gov
enanter, and en- elder in the
Clarksburg Presbyterian church.
The mother OF John w. Davis
was a leader in the religious and
literary life of Clarksburg for
upwards OF half q century, and
was widely known as an authori
ty on the Bible. She was a
brilliant woman intellectually,
speaking several languages. Her
husband for many years was the
leader Of the bar ia Northern
West Virginia John W. Davis,
their son, who is now a trustee
of the Central Presbyterian
church of CIarksburg, succeeded
his father as leader of the local
bar. 10 1908, at the age of 33,
he was elected President of the
West Virginia Bar Association :
an unprecedented honor for so
young @ man.
Such was the background and
lie Of John w. Davis in his ma
tive state. IN
For the frst ten years of Ills.
life, his education was person
ally supervised by his mother.
Subsequently, be was graduated
with honors from Pantops Acad
emy, and Washington and Lee
University, Virginia, teaching a
country school class for a year
to earn money to go to college.
Borrowing the remainder of the
funds needed for his education,
after his father bad sold a small
farm and exhausted bis own re
sources to defray the expenses
of his early schooling, young
Davis made such an extraordin
ary record in law school that be
was offered an assistant profes
sorshlp in law in Washington
and Lee, one Of the famous uni
versities of the country. He
taught law there for g. year,
thereafter returning to Clarks
burg to enter the practice of law
with his father.
He was elected to office twice,
each time over his own and his
fathers protest. The first time
a county convention nominated
him by acclimation for the state
legislature, where he served one
term. In that short interval,
although but % years old, be
won state wide fame by his stand
for law and order in a legisla
tive crisis. He was appointed
chairman OF the Judiciary Com
mittee, and Democratic floor
leader of the House of Delegates.
Twelve years later, in 1910, he
was nominated for Congress-
again by acclamation and over
his protest--and won by sub
stantial plurality in heavily
Republican district.
Thereafter. he served one
whole term and part of another
in Congress, winning new hOnors
by bis successful prosecution of
Judge John w. Archibald of
| Pennsylvania, corrupt Federal
Judge whom the Senate convict
ed and removed from office, and
by his battle for anti trust legis
lation, for the rights of labor, and
the sanctity Of the Constitution.
When IS years old be was ap
pointed by President Wilson as
Solicitor-General Of the United
States. In this exalted position
he prosecuted the Standard Oil,
Harvester and Steel Trusts. and
set a record which bad never
been approached by any prede
cessOr, or, in fact, by any other
lawyer in the United States, in
the number Of cases argued and
won in the United States Su