Davis was born and raised in
Scranton, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1894, gained a commission as first lieutenant during the
Spanish–American War, and deployed to the
US-Mexico border in 1916. He entered
World War I as a lieutenant colonel and rose to prominence by serving on the staff of General
John J. Pershing and as
adjutant, colonel, and chief of staff of the
28th Infantry Division. After the war, he became one of the original directors of the
American Legion. Davis served as the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1923 to 1927 under Governor
Gifford Pinchot. Following his service as lieutenant governor, Davis served for twenty years as the solicitor of Scranton and, from 1932 through 1935, he served as the adjutant general in command of the
Pennsylvania National Guard. He died in Scranton at the age of 71. == References ==