John E. Davis Papers, 1957-1960

John E. Davis Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: John E. Davis Papers, 1957-1960

ID: OGLMC0046

Primary Creator: Davis, John E. (1913-1990)

Extent: 11.25 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/1970

Subjects: Politics and Government - North Dakota Governor, Politics and Government - Republican Party, University of North Dakota - Alumni

Languages: English

Abstract

1913-1990; Governor of North Dakota, 1957-1960

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The John E. Davis Papers, 1957-1960, consist of correspondence and office files from Davis' tenure as Governor of North Dakota. The files have been arranged alphabetically by subject.

Collection Historical Note

John Edward Davis was born April 18, 1913, to James and Helen Davis, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Although his family was from Goodrich, North Dakota, Davis was born in Minneapolis because other family members lived nearby. Ten days after his birth, the family returned to Goodrich.

After attending high school in Fargo, Davis graduated from Bismarck High School in 1931. Later that fall, Davis enrolled at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. While at UND, Davis pledged for Beta Theta Pi, and was active in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). He was the ranking officer in Scabbard and Blade, an organization of select Senior ROTC cadet officers. He graduated from UND with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce in 1935.

Davis returned to Goodrich and took over management of his family's ranch and farm. In May 1941, he was drafted into the United States Army. He reported first to Fort Snelling, before being sent to Camp Robinson, Arkansas, where he became commander of Company C, 134^th Infantry, First Battalion. He saw extensive combat duty in the European Theater, and was awarded a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Silver Star. He separated from the United States Army on July 31, 1945, at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.

In 1946, Davis was elected mayor of McClusky, North Dakota, serving until 1952. That year, he successfully ran for a position in the North Dakota State Senate. He served in the Senate until 1956, when he was nominated for Governor on the Republican ticket. He defeated the Democratic candidate, Wally Warner, in the fall election. He was re-elected in 1958, and served until 1960. He was a candidate for the United States Senate in 1960, but was defeated by Quentin Burdick. He was again a candidate for the Republican nomination in 1964, but lost to Tom Kleppe. In 1966, Davis was honored with the Sioux Award, the University of North Dakota Alumni Association's highest honor.

Davis served as the National Commander of the American Legion from 1967 to 1968 and was then appointed Director of the Office of Civil Defense by President Richard Nixon in 1969. The agency was renamed in 1972 as the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. Following his retirement in 1976, he was awarded the Department of Defense Service Medal.

In 1977, Davis returned to North Dakota to operate the family ranch and resume presidency of the First National Bank of McClusky. In 1978, he received the Greater North Dakota Award from the Greater North Dakota Association. He was active in many organizations, including the Elks, Masons, and the Scottish Rite and the Shrine.

John Davis married Pauline Huntley in 1938. The couple had three children: John, Jr., Richard, and Kathleen. The couple divorced after forty years of marriage in 1978, after which he married Marilyn R. Westlie in 1980. John E. Davis died May 12, 1990, in Rancho Mirage, California.

Source:

"'It Was Easy to Get Involved': An Interview with Governor John E. Davis." Edited by Gerald G. Newborg. Gerald G. Newborg. North Dakota History. v70, n1 (2003): 2-25.

Subject/Index Terms

Politics and Government - North Dakota Governor
Politics and Government - Republican Party
University of North Dakota - Alumni

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: John E. Davis

Acquisition Method: Donation

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). John E. Davis Papers. OGLMC 46, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in April 2014.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[Box 4],
[Box 5],
[Box 6],
[Box 7],
[Box 8],
[Box 9],
[All]

Box 1

Folder 1: Abstracters Board of Examiners
Folder 2: Adjutant General
Folder 3: Agriculture - disaster
Folder 4: Agriculture - disaster
Folder 5: Agriculture and Labor
Folder 6: Agriculture - Reduction of freight rates
Folder 7: Atomic Energy
Folder 8: Attorney General Opinions
Folder 9: Board of Accounting
Folder 10: Board of Barber Examiners
Folder 11: Board of Budget
Folder 12: Board of Registration for Professional Engineers
Folder 13: Boy Scouts of America
Folder 14: Civil Defense - Fallout protection and problems
Folder 15: Civil Defense - Local and area organizations
Folder 16: Civil Rights
Folder 17: Commission, Dairy Products Promotion
Folder 18: Commission, North Dakota Crippled Children's
Folder 19: Commission on Alcoholism
Folder 20: Commission on Small Business
Folder 21: Committee on Children and Youth
Folder 22: Committee on Children and Youth, Governor's
Folder 23: Committee on Children and Youth, Governor's
Folder 24: Committee on Children and Youth, Governor's
Folder 25: Committee on Children and Youth, Governor's
Folder 26: Consuls
Folder 27: Congratulations
Folder 28: Corps of Engineers
Folder 29: Credit
Folder 30: Dakota Territory Centennial Commission
Folder 31: Dakota Territory Centennial Commission
Folder 32: Department of Insurance
Folder 33: Department of Public Instruction
Folder 34: Directories
Folder 35: Disaster Proceedings
Folder 36: Disaster Proceeding

Box 2

Folder 1: District Judges
Folder 2: District Judgeship - State
Folder 3: Economic Development Commission
Folder 4: Economic Development Commission
Folder 5: Economic Development Commission
Folder 6: Economic Development Commission
Folder 7: Economic Development Commission
Folder 8: "A" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 9: "B" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 10: "C" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 11: "D" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 12: "F" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 13: "G" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 14: "H" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 15: "I" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 16: "L" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 17: "M" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 18: "P" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 19: "R" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 20: "S" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 21: "T" Fan (General Correspondence)
Folder 22: "W" Fan (General Correspondence) (See box 9 for "U" Fan)
Folder 23: Education, Federal Assistance to
Folder 24: Emergency Commission
Folder 25: Employment Services
Folder 26: Fargo Disaster
Folder 27: Farm Bureau
Folder 28: Farmers Home Administration
Folder 29: Federal Administration
Folder 30: Flags - 1960
Folder 31: Flood Problems, River Water
Folder 32: Fort Lincoln
Folder 33: Game and Fish Department
Folder 34: Garrison Dam Project, 1957
Folder 35: Garrison Dam Project, 1958
Folder 36: Garrison Dam Project, 1957
Folder 37: Garrison Dam Project, 1957
Folder 38: Garrison Dam Project, 1958
Folder 39: Garrison Dam Project, 1959

Box 3

Folder 1: Garrison Dam Project, 1959
Folder 2: Garrison Dam Project, 1959
Folder 3: Garrison Dam Project, 1960
Folder 4: Garrison Dam Project, 1960
Folder 5: Garrison Diversion conservation District
Folder 6: Governor's Mansion
Folder 7: Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Association
Folder 8: Greater North Dakota Association
Folder 9: Handicapped, Employment of physically
Folder 10: Health Planning Committee
Folder 11: Health Planning Committee
Folder 12: Higher Education, State Board of
Folder 13: Higher Education - Agricultural College
Folder 14: Higher Education - Dickinson Teachers College
Folder 15: Higher Education - Ellendale Normal
Folder 16: Higher Education - Jamestown College
Folder 17: Higher Education - Mayville State Teachers College
Folder 18: Higher Education - School of Forestry
Folder 19: Higher Education - Minot State Teachers College
Folder 20: Higher Education - Valley City State Teachers College
Folder 21: Higher Education - Wahpeton, State School of Science
Folder 22: Highway Construction and Repair Requests, 1958-59
Folder 23: Highway Improvement
Folder 24: Highways, Interstate
Folder 25: Highways, Interstate
Folder 26: Highways, Interstate
Folder 27: Highways, State
Folder 28: Highways, State

Box 4

Folder 1: Indian Affairs Commission
Folder 2: Indian Affairs Commission
Folder 3: Indian Affairs Commission
Folder 4: Indian Affairs Commission
Folder 5: Indian Affairs - General
Folder 6: Indian Affairs - Industry
Folder 7: Indian Affairs - Industry
Folder 8: Indian Affairs - Meetings
Folder 9: Intergovernmental Relations
Folder 10: International Peace Garden
Folder 11: Labor, Committee on Migratory Farm
Folder 12: Labor Legislation, Special Legislative Committee to Study
Folder 13: Labor Disputes Board
Folder 14: Labor Disputes - Drivers Union No. 74 vs. Voelher Furniture, Minot, N.D.
Folder 15: Labor Disputes - Parker Hotels vs. Local No. 632, Minot, N.D.
Folder 16: Labor Disputes and Problems in State Departments and Offices
Folder 17: Labor Disputes - State Highway Department
Folder 18: Legislature and Legislation
Folder 19: Legislature and Legislation
Folder 20: Legislature and Legislation
Folder 21: Legislature and Legislation
Folder 22: Legislative Research Committee
Folder 23: Legislative Research Committee
Folder 24: Lignite and Uranium
Folder 25: Livestock Sanitary Board

Box 5

Folder 1: Medical Center Advisory Council
Folder 2: Medora Restoration Committee
Folder 3: Memorial to the 7th Cavalry
Folder 4: Mental Health
Folder 5: Merit System Council
Folder 6: Merit System Council
Folder 7: Merit System Council
Folder 8: Messages
Folder 9: Mine inspector
Folder 10: Missouri River States Committee
Folder 11: Missouri River States Committee
Folder 12: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 13: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 14: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 15: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 16: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 17: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 18: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 19: Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee
Folder 20: Mother of the Year
Folder 21: <font face="Times New Roman">Motor Vehicle Department</font>

Box 6

Folder 1: National Guard
Folder 2: National Guard - General
Folder 3: National Guard - Reorganization
Folder 4: National Memorial Park, Theodore Roosevelt<
Folder 5: Natural Resources
Folder 6: Natural Resources Council
Folder 7: News Releases
Folder 8: North Dakota Mill and Elevator
Folder 9: North Dakota Mill and Elevator Reports
Folder 10: North Dakota State Health Council
Folder 11: North Dakota Stockmen's Association
Folder 12: North Dakota Water User's Association
Folder 13: Oil
Folder 14: Oil
Folder 15: Oil
Folder 16: Pacific War Memorial Project
Folder 17: Peace Garden, International
Folder 18: Potato Development Commission
Folder 19: Presidential Elections, 1960
Folder 20: Public Service Commission
Folder 21: Public Service Commission
Folder 22: Public Service Commission
Folder 23: Public Service Commission
Folder 24: Public Welfare Board
Folder 25: Real Estate Commission
Folder 26: Reclamation
Folder 27: Reclamation
Folder 28: Reclamation Association
Folder 29: Records Management Survey

Box 7

Folder 1: Red Cross
Folder 2: Resolutions
Folder 3: Resolutions
Folder 4: Riverdale
Folder 5: Rural Electrification
Folder 6: Safety, 1960
Folder 7: Safety, 1960
Folder 8: St. Thomas, North Dakota - Alternate Highway No. 81
Folder 9: San Haven Sanatorium - Administration
Folder 10: Saving Bonds, U.S.
Folder 11: School District Reorganization
Folder 12: Secretary of State
Folder 13: Securities Commission
Folder 14: Selective Service - Request for Deferments, etc.
Folder 15: Soil Conservation
Folder 16: State Athletic Commission
Folder 17: State Board of Architects
Folder 18: State Board of Equalization
Folder 19: State Geologist File
Folder 20: State Bank of North Dakota
Folder 21: State Banking Board
Folder 22: State Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Folder 23: State Board of Chiropodists
Folder 24: State Board of Dental Examiners
Folder 25: State Electrical Board
Folder 26: State Board of Embalmers
Folder 27: State Board of Hairdressers & Cosmetologists
Folder 28: State Board of Health
Folder 29: State Board of Higher Education
Folder 30: State Board of Massage
Folder 31: State Board of Medical Examiners
Folder 32: State Board of Medical Examiners
Folder 33: State Board of Nursing Education and Nurse Licensure
Folder 34: State Board of Pardons
Folder 35: State Board of Pardons
Folder 36: State Board of Pardons
Folder 37: State Board of Pardons
Folder 38: State Board of Pardons
Folder 39: State Board of Pardons
Folder 40: State Board of Pharmacy
Folder 41: State Board of Physical Therapy
Folder 42: State Board of Optometry
Folder 43: State Board of Osteopathic Examiners
Folder 44: State Board of Plumbing
Folder 45: State Board of Poultry Improvement
Folder 46: State Board of Public School Education
Folder 47: State Board of Public School Education

Box 8

Folder 1: State Department of Accounts and Purchases
Folder 2: State Department of Accounts and Purchases
Folder 3: State Examiners
Folder 4: State Health Department
Folder 5: State Highway Department
Folder 6: State Highway Department
Folder 7: State Highway Department
Folder 8: State Highway Department
Folder 9: State Historical Society and State Library Commission
Folder 10: State Historical Society
Folder 11: State Investigation by Congress
Folder 12: State Library Commission
Folder 13: State Laboratories Department
Folder 14: State Mill and Elevator
Folder 15: State Mill and Elevator
Folder 16: State Penitentiary
Folder 17: State Printer
Folder 18: State Psychiatric Clinic
Folder 19: State School at Grafton
Folder 20: State School for the Blind
Folder 21: State School for the Deaf
Folder 22: State Seed Department
Folder 23: State Soldiers Home
Folder 24: State Special Elections
Folder 25: State Tax Commissioner
Folder 26: State Training School
Folder 27: State Treasurers
Folder 28: State Water Conservation Commission
Folder 29: State Water Conservation Commission
Folder 30: State Water Conservation Commission
Folder 31: State Wheat Commission
Folder 32: States' Rights
Folder 33: Statuary Hall of Fame Commission

Box 9

Folder 1: Teachers Retirement Fund
Folder 2: Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park
Folder 3: Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park
Folder 4: "H" Fan (Correspondence-Missouri River Development)
Folder 5: "U" Fan (Correspondence-Missouri River Development)
Folder 6: Uranium
Folder 7: Unemployment Compensation Division
Folder 8: United Nation
Folder 9: Veteran's Affairs
Folder 10: Veteran's Affairs
Folder 11: Veteran's Affairs - Advisory Committee
Folder 12: Veterans Aid Commission
Folder 13: Veteran's Bonus
Folder 14: Veterinary Medical Examiners, Board of
Folder 15: Veterans, Disabled War
Folder 16: Vocational Rehabilitation
Folder 17: Yellowstone - Missouri Fort Union Commission
Folder 18: Yellowstone River Compact Commission
Folder 19: Youth
Folder 20: Youth, Governor's Committee on Children and
Folder 21: Youth and Youth Conservation
Folder 22: Youth Conservation and Juvenile Delinquency
Folder 23: "Youth Fitness" Program
Folder 24: Young American Medals Committee
Folder 25: Washington Memorial Chapel, Valley Forge, PA -North Dakota representation
Folder 26: Watershed
Folder 27: Watchmaking, Board of Examiners in
Folder 28: Workmen's Compensation Bureau
Folder 29: National Energy Board - Application of Matador Pipe Line Co. Ltd.
Folder 30: Undated manuscript of a history essay written by Davis while at UND
Folder 31: Newspaper clippings - 1960 and 1966
Folder 32: Program honoring Governor John E. Davis by the University Russian Club, October 21, 1959
Folder 33: Correspondence and publications for the campaigning of former Governor John E. Davis for the U.S. Senate, 1960

Browse by Box:

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[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[Box 4],
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