Davis Fonville Stakely (January 27, 1883 – January 12, 1964)Two Former Alabama Justices Succumb In Montgomery Monday In Same Hospital
, ''The Montgomery Advertiser'' (January 14, 1964), p. 1. was a justice of the

Supreme Court of Alabama The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six-year terms. The Supreme Court is house ...

from 1943 to 1945, and again from 1946 to 1962.

Early life, education, and career

Born in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

, to pastor Charles A. Stakely and Sarah Jessie Stakely, he received a law degree from

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 ...

in 1904, where he was also a star athlete on the Mercer baseball team.Sam Adams,
Judge Stakely Once Starred in Baseball
, ''Alabama Journal'' (January 30, 1946), p. 7. He "was at second base in every game played by the Baptist institution for four years (1901-02-03 and 04) and four times was named to the All-Southern Intercollegiate team". In 1905, he was elected to the faculty of

Howard College Howard College is a community college in the U.S. state of Texas with its main campus in Big Spring and branch campuses in San Angelo and Lamesa. History Howard County Junior College was established in Big Spring in 1945. 148 students be ...

(later renamed Samford University), where he taught business methods and Latin,Entire Faculty Was Re-Elected
, ''Birmingham Post-Herald'' (May 30, 1905), p. 7. and where he was also head coach of the football team in 1905, and of the baseball team in 1908. Stakely entered the practice of law in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

, in 1908.

Judicial service

In 1943, Governor

Chauncey Sparks George Chauncey Sparks (October 8, 1884 – November 6, 1968), known as Chauncey Sparks, was an attorney and Democratic American politician who served as the 41st Governor of Alabama from 1943 to 1947. He made improvements to state education o ...

temporarily appointed Stakely to a seat on the state supreme court vacated by a leave of absence taken by Justice Thomas S. Lawson, who had taken an active duty role with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Lawson returned to his place on the court on November 1, 1945, and Stakely left the court, returning to private practice. Less than two months later, on December 22, 1945, Justice William H. Thomas died, and on January 8, 1946, Stakely was appointed as an associate justice to succeed Thomas. Stakely successfully ran for re-election to the seat in 1946, 1952, and 1958, remaining on the court until his resignation in 1962.

Personal life and death

Stakely had a wife who died before him, with whom he had a daughter and a son. He died at a Montgomery hospital at the age of 80, following a lengthy illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stakely, Davis F. 1883 births 1964 deaths Mercer University alumni Samford University faculty Samford Bulldogs football coaches Samford Bulldogs baseball coaches Justices of the Supreme Court of Alabama