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John William Davis
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's7th district
In office January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1975
Preceded by	Harlan Erwin Mitchell
Succeeded by	Lawrence P. McDonald
Personal details
Born	(1916-09-12)September 12, 1916 Rome, Georgia, U.S.
Died	October 3, 1992(1992-10-03) (aged 76) St. Simon's Island, Georgia, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Vivian Hawkins, Bridget Davis
Alma mater	University of Georgia School of Law
Profession	Attorney

John William Davis (September 12, 1916 – October 3, 1992) was an American politician and lawyer.

Davis was born nearRome,Georgia, attended theUniversity of Georgia (UGA) inAthens and graduated in 1937 with anA.B. and from theUGA School of Law with aBachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1939. He was admitted to the state bar in 1939 and began practice in Rome.

Beginning in July 1942, Davis served in theUnited States War Department Headquarters until December 1945. He then served inSouth America on behalf of theCounter Intelligence Corps. In 1946, Davis moved toSummerville, Georgia, and resumed practicing law.

On December 27, 1950, Davis becamesolicitor general of the Rome Circuit and remained in that position until January 1, 1953. Two years later, he was elected judge of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, serving from January 1, 1955, until his resignation on December 31, 1960.

In 1960, Davis won election to the87th Congress as aDemocrat representingGeorgia's 7th congressional district. He won re-election to six additional terms in that body until losing his 1974 re-election bid in that year's Democratic primary to conservative activistLarry McDonald. At the time of his loss, Davis had a drinking problem.^[1] Davis served as a U.S. Representative from January 3, 1961 to January 3, 1975.

Davis' loss to McDonald in 1974 was attributed largely to his perceived lack of opposition to the concept ofschool busing, in which students were bused to schools outside of their district to facilitatedesegregation. Davis, who resided in the more rural part of his district, did not take into account the increasing political force of the northwest suburbs ofAtlanta. The fast-growingbedroom communities ofCobb County were filling up with residents who were fleeing mandatory desegregation in urban Atlanta; it was mainly these constituents who supported McDonald and hisplatform opposing interdistrict school busing.^{[citation needed]}.

Davis returned to practicing law and lived inSt. Simons Island, Georgia, at the time of his death on October 3, 1992.

•  This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.

• United States Congress."John William Davis (id: D000122)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• John William Davis Collection at the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies libs.uga.edu

• Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers
• Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges
• People from Brunswick, Georgia
• People from Rome, Georgia
• People from St. Simons, Georgia
• Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state)
• University of Georgia alumni
• 1916 births
• 1992 deaths
• History of racial segregation in the United States
• Democratic Party United States representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Politicians from Athens, Georgia
• People from Summerville, Georgia
• 20th-century American lawyers
• 20th-century Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges
• 20th-century United States representatives

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