Jimmie Davis | |
|---|---|
 Davis in 1962 | |
| 47thGovernor of Louisiana | |
| In office May 10, 1960 – May 12, 1964 | |
| Lieutenant | Taddy Aycock |
| Preceded by | Earl Long |
| Succeeded by | John McKeithen |
| In office May 9, 1944 – May 11, 1948 | |
| Lieutenant | J. Emile Verret |
| Preceded by | Sam H. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Earl Long |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Houston Davis (1899-09-11)September 11, 1899 Jackson Parish, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | November 5, 2000(2000-11-05) (aged 101) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Resting place | Jimmie Davis Tabernacle Cemetery, Quitman, Louisiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Alvern Adams (died 1967) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Louisiana Christian University (BA) Louisiana State University (MA) |
| Profession | Singer, songwriter, former educator, politician |
James Houston Davis (September 11, 1899 – November 5, 2000) was an American singer, songwriter, andDemocratic Party politician. After achieving fame for releasing both sacred and popular songs, Davis served asgovernor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948 and again from 1960 to 1964. As Governor, he was an opponent of efforts todesegregate Louisiana.[1]
Davis was a nationally popularcountry music andgospel singer from the 1930s into the 1960s, occasionally recording and performing as late as the early 1990s. He appeared as himself in a number of Hollywood movies. He was inducted into six halls of fame, including theCountry Music Hall of Fame, theSouthern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, and theLouisiana Music Hall of Fame. At the time of his death in 2000, he was the oldest living former governor as well as the last living governor to have been born in the 19th century.
Davis was not sure of his date of birth; according toThe New York Times, "Various newspaper and magazine articles over the last 70 years said he was born in 1899, 1901, 1902 or 1903. He told The New York Times several years ago that his sharecropper parents could never recall just when he was born – he was, after all, one of 11 children – and that he had not had the slightest idea when it really was."[2][3] The birth date listed on his Country Music Hall of Fame plaque is September 11, 1904.[4]
Davis graduated from Beech Springs High School and fromSoule Business College, inNew Orleans.[5] His 1927 master's thesis, which examines the intelligence levels of different races, is titledComparative Intelligence of Whites, Blacks and Mulattoes.[6]
During the late 1920s, Davis taught history (and, unofficially,yodeling) for a year at the formerDodd College for Girls inShreveport. The college president, Monroe E. Dodd, who was also the pastor of First Baptist Church of Shreveport and a radio preacher, invited Davis to serve on the faculty.[7]
Davis became a commercially successful singer of rural music before he entered politics. His early work was in the style of country music singerJimmie Rodgers. Davis was also known for recording energetic and raunchyblues tunes, such as "Red Nightgown Blues" and "Tom Cat and Pussy Blues".[8] Some of these records included slide guitar accompaniment by black bluesmanOscar "Buddy" Woods.[8] During his first run for governor, opponents reprinted the lyrics of some of these songs in order to undermine Davis's campaign. In one case, anti-Davis forces played some records over an outdoor sound system, only to give up after the crowds started dancing, ignoring the double-entendre lyrics. Until the end of his life, Davis never denied or repudiated those records.[citation needed]
In 1999, "You Are My Sunshine" was honored with aGrammy Hall of Fame Award, and theRecording Industry Association of America named it one of theSongs of the Century. "You Are My Sunshine" was ranked in 2003 as No. 73 onCMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Virginia Shehee, a Shreveportbusinesswoman,philanthropist, andstate senator, introduced legislation to designate "You Are My Sunshine" as the official state song.[9] The song was reportedly written for Elizabeth Selby, a resident ofUrbana, Illinois and housemother of Wescoga ("Wesley Co-Op for Gals") at the time the song was written.[citation needed]
Davis often performed during his campaign stops when running for governor of Louisiana. After being elected in 1944, he became known as the "singing governor." While governor, he had a No. 1 hit single in 1945 with "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder".[8] Davis recorded for theVictor Talking Machine Company, andDecca Records for decades and released more than 40 albums.[citation needed]
A long-timeSouthern Baptist, Davis recorded a number ofSouthern gospel albums.[8] In 1967 he served as president of theGospel Music Association. He was a close friend of theNorth Dakota-born band leaderLawrence Welk, who frequently reminded viewers of his television program of his association with Davis.[citation needed]
A number of his songs were used as part of motion picture soundtracks. Davis appeared in half a dozen films, including one starringOzzie and Harriet, who had a TV series under their names. Members of Davis's last band included Allen "Puddler" Harris ofLake Charles. He had served as pianist for singerRicky Nelson early in his career.[citation needed]
Davis was also a close acquaintance of the country singer-songwriterHank Williams, with whom he co-wrote the top-10 hit[10] "(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" in 1951, supposedly on a fishing day they spent together.
| Year | Single | US Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | "Nobody's Darling but Mine" | — |
| 1937 | "Nobody's Darling but Mine" Jimmie Davis With Charles Mitchell And His Texan | — |
| 1938 | "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland" | — |
| "There's a Gold Mine in the Sky"[11] | — | |
| 1939 | "Two More Years (and I’ll Be Free)"[12] | 1 |
| "It Makes No Difference Now"[13] | 1 | |
| "The Last Trip of the Old Ship"[14] | 2 | |
| "Memories"[15] | 5 | |
| 1940 | "I’d Love to Call You My Sweetheart"[16] | 1 |
| "Baby Your Mother" | 2 | |
| "You're as Welcome as the Flowers in May"[17] | 6 | |
| "You Are My Sunshine" | — | |
| 1941 | "I'm Sorry Now"[18] | 3 |
| 1942 | "I've Got My Heart on My Sleeve" | 3 |
| "You'll Be Sorry" | 4 | |
| "Sweethearts or Strangers"[19] | 6 | |
| "I Loved You Once" | 6 | |
| "Don't You Cry Over Me" | 6 | |
| "The End of the World" | 7 | |
| "What More Can I Say" | 8 | |
| "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" | 10 | |
| 1943 | "Columbus Stockade Blues" | 2 |
| "Where Is My Boy Tonight" | 7 | |
| "I'm Knocking at Your Door Again" | 7 | |
| "I Dreamed of an Old Love Affair" | 8 | |
| "A Sinner's Prayer" | 13 | |
| 1944 | "Is It Too Late Now" | 3 |
| "There's a Chill on the Hill Tonight" | 4 | |
| 1945 | "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder" | 1 |
| 1946 | "Grievin' My Heart Out for You" | 4 |
| 1947 | "Bang Bang" | 4 |
| 1951 | "(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" | 9 |
| 1962 | "Where the Old Red River Flows" | 15 |
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Davis was elected in 1938 as Shreveport's public safety commissioner. At the time, Shreveport had thecity commission form of government. After four years in Shreveport City Hall, Davis was elected in 1942 to theLouisiana Public Service Commission. The rate-making body meets in the capital, Baton Rouge. He was elected during his term as governor and left after two years.
Davis was elected governor as aDemocrat in 1944. Among those eliminated in the primary wereState SenatorErnest S. Clements ofOberlin inAllen Parish, freshmanU.S. RepresentativeJames H. Morrison ofHammond inTangipahoa Parish, andSam Caldwell, themayor of Shreveport. Davis and Caldwell had served together earlier in Shreveport municipal government.
In therunoff, Davis defeatedLewis L. Morgan, an elderly attorney and formerU.S. representative fromCovington, the seat ofSt. Tammany Parish, who had been backed by former GovernorEarl Kemp Long andNew Orleans MayorRobert Maestri. In the runoff, Davis received 251,228 (53.6 percent) to Morgan's 217,915 (46.4 percent).
Davis pleased white liberals with his appointments to high positions of two of the leaders of theimpeachment effort againstHuey Long. He namedCecil Morgan of Shreveport to the Louisiana Civil Service Commission. Morgan was succeeded in the Louisiana House byRupert Peyton of Shreveport, who also served as an aide to Davis. In addition, Davis retained the anti-LongRalph Norman Bauer ofSt. Mary Parish as House speaker, a selection made originally in 1940 by Sam Jones.[20]
Earl Long was seeking thelieutenant governorship on the Lewis Morgan "ticket" and led in the first primary in 1944, but he lost the runoff toJ. Emile Verret ofNew Iberia, then the president of theIberia Parish School Board.[citation needed]
Davis kept his hand in show business, and set a record for absenteeism during his first term. He made numerous trips toHollywood to make Western "horse operas."[21]
Under theterm limit provision of the state constitution then in effect, Davis was limited to a single non-consecutive term in office.[citation needed]
When he became a candidate for a second term in 1959–60, Davis had been out of office for nearly a dozen years. In a later study of this election, three Louisiana State Universitypolitical scientists described him by the following:
Davis has all the external attributes of a "man of the people", but his serious political connections seem to be with the [parish-seat] elite and its allies, particularly the major industrial combinations of the state. He is in many respects a toned-down version of the old-style southern politician who could spellbound the mass of voters into supporting him regardless of the effects of his programs on their welfare. ... Davis creates the perfect image of a man to be trusted and one whose intense calm is calculated to bring rational balance into the political life of the state.[22]
Davis was running at a time when African Americans in the civil rights movement were seeking social justice and restoration of their constitutional rights. In 1954 the US Supreme Court had ruled inBrown v. Board of Education that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and urged states to integrate their facilities. With a pledge to fight for continuedsegregation in public education, Davis won the Democraticgubernatorial nomination over a crowded field.
Davis ran second in the primary to"Chep" Morrison, considered an anti-Long liberal by Louisiana standards. He defeated Morrison in the party runoff held on January 9, 1960. As African Americans (who had supported the Republican Party after the Civil War) were still largelydisenfranchised in Louisiana, the Democratic primary was the only competitive race for office in the one-party state.
It has been reported that had GeneralCurtis LeMay turned downGeorge C. Wallace's offer to be his candidate for vice president in 1968 on theAmerican Independent Party ticket, that Wallace was ready to announce Davis as his selection for vice president. Other sources say Wallace's second choice was the formergovernor of ArkansasOrval Faubus.[23]
As part of his support of segregation, Davis initiated passage of state legislation to create theLouisiana State Sovereignty Commission, which operated from 1960 to 1967. It "espoused states rights, anti-communist and segregationist ideas, with a particular focus on maintaining the status quo in race relations. It was closely allied with the Louisiana Joint Legislative Committee on Un-American Activities."[24] It was modeled after Mississippi's commission, established in 1956 to resist integration. Davis tappedFrank Voelker Jr., City Attorney ofLake Providence, to chair the newly established Commission. It was given unusual[clarification needed] powers to investigate state citizens, and used its authority to exert economic pressure to suppress civil rights activists. Voelker left the commission in 1963 to run for governor but placed poorly in the primary; he withdrew and supported other candidates.[25]
Davis established a State Retirement System and funding of more than $100 million in public improvements, while leaving the state with a $38 million surplus after his first term.[26]
Earl Long once remarked that Davis was so relaxed and low-key that one could not "wake up Jimmie Davis with an earthquake".[27]
Public relations specialistGus Weill, who worked in the Davis campaign in 1959, wrote a biography of the former governor in 1977, entitledYou Are My Sunshine, based on Davis' best-known song.[28]
Davis's first wife, the former Alvern Adams, the daughter of a physician in Shreveport, was the first lady while he was governor during both terms. A little over a year after Alvern's death in 1967, Davis married the widowed Anna Gordon (February 15, 1917 – March 5, 2004) in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia on December 4, 1968 (The Tennessean). Anna was born Effie Juanita Carter and had been a founding member of the gospel quartetThe Chuck Wagon Gang along with her father, a sister and a brother. She had been given the stage name "Anna" during the mid-1930s. Davis was a longtime fan of the group, who were gospel music pioneers with more than 36 million records sold in forty years of affiliation withColumbia Records.
Davis died on November 5, 2000. He had suffered a fall in his home some ten months earlier and may have had astroke in his last days. He is interred alongside his first wife at the Jimmie Davis Tabernacle Cemetery in his native Beech Springs community near Quitman. His adopted son, Jim Davis, passed away in 2012 and was cremated.[30][31]
Davis was aged 101 years and 55 days,[30] which made him the longest-lived of all U.S. state governors at the time of his death. Davis held this record until March 18, 2011, whenAlbert Rosellini ofWashington achieved a greater lifespan of 101 years, 56 days, dying 206 days later.
The Jimmie Davis Tabernacle is located near Weston in Jackson Parish. The tabernacle hosts occasional gospel singing. At the site is a replica of the Davis homestead (c. 1900) and of the Peckerwood Hill Store, an oldgeneral store that served the community.
Davis was inducted into theNashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971, theCountry Music Hall of Fame in 1972, theSouthern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and TheLouisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008. In 1993, Davis was among the first thirteen inductees of theLouisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame inWinnfield.[32]
The Davis archives of papers and photographs is housed in the "You Are My Sunshine" Collection of the Linus A. Sims Memorial Library atSoutheastern Louisiana University in Hammond.[33]
Davis had several appearances in movies (usually or always as himself), including:
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| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Louisiana 1944 | Succeeded by Earl Long |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Louisiana 1960 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Louisiana May 9, 1944–May 11, 1948 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Earl K. Long | Governor of Louisiana May 10, 1960–May 12, 1964 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Oldest living United States governor October 20, 1996 – November 5, 2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Oldest United States governor ever October 2, 2000 – March 17, 2011 | Succeeded by |
