Elmer David Davies Explained

Elmer David Davies
Office:Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Term Start:1954
Term End:1957
Predecessor:Office established
Successor:William Ernest Miller
Office1:Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Term Start1:July 12, 1939
Term End1:January 7, 1957
Appointer1:Franklin D. Roosevelt
Predecessor1:John J. Gore
Successor1:Seat abolished
Birth Name:Elmer David Davies
Birth Date:12 January 1899
Birth Place:Magnolia, Arkansas
Death Place:Nashville, Tennessee
Death Cause:Heart attack
Education:Vanderbilt University Law School (LL.B.)

Elmer David Davies (January 12, 1899 – January 7, 1957) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the Tennessee State Senate and later served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Education and career

Davies was born on January 12, 1899, in Magnolia, Arkansas.[1] He received a Bachelor of Laws from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1922. Davies joined the Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana and attended a meeting while he was a student at Vanderbilt; however, he later claimed he was disillusioned and stopped going.[2] Davies was in private practice in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1922 to 1939, and served as a member of the Tennessee Senate from 1935 to 1939.[1]

Federal judicial service

Davies was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 19, 1939, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee vacated by Judge John J. Gore. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 12, 1939, and received his commission the same day. He served as Chief Judge from 1954 to 1957. His service terminated on January 7, 1957, due to his death of a heart attack in Nashville.[1]

Notes and References

  1. News: Funeral Scheduled for Judge Davies. September 7, 2017. Kingsport Times. January 8, 1957. 2. Kingsport, Tennessee. Newspapers.com. registration .
  2. News: DAVIES OPPOSITION GROWS IN SENATE. Confirmation of Tennessean For U.S. Judge Recalled By Committee. September 7, 2017. Kingsport Times. July 13, 1939. 1; 16. Newspapers.com. registration .