Westmoreland "Morley" Davis (; August 21, 1859September 2, 1942) was an American lawyer, politician, and the 48th Governor of Virginia, serving from February 1, 1918 to February 1, 1922.

Biography

Davis was born to a wealthy and prominent family on August 21, 1859. He was born on a boat in the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The Davis family lost much of its wealth during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. Davis and his mother, Annie, left a widow, struggled financially after the war, but he was able to attend the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

on a scholarship. He was the youngest Cadet to ever attend at the age of 14. After graduating in 1877, he taught for 2 years then went to work as a clerk for the railroad company. Later, he "completed a year of post-graduate study at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

in 1883," and studied at

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

from 1884 until graduating in 1886. He joined an elite

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

law firm and became wealthy. In 1903, Davis purchased Morven Park, in the heart of Virginia's horse country. He and his wife Marguerite were avid equestrians and he soon founded the Loudoun Hunt, becoming the

Master of Foxhounds Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of ho ...

for the club. He also planned to take up farming, despite his lack of experience. Davis advocated reform in farming, especially the use of science to improve productivity and sanitation. In 1912, he bought the magazine '' Southern Planter'', one of the most popular magazines in the South. He used his position to advocate his ideas on farming and for political aid to farmers. Davis was a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * J ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

elected him

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in 1917 on a "wet," or anti-Prohibition, platform. As governor, Davis sent increased funding to Virginia's colleges and universities. He also pressed for aid to farmers and funding for scientific farming research. In general, he reformed and modernized the Virginia government. While governor, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention of 1920. Davis died on September 2, 1942, in a Baltimore hospital after suffering a stroke and was buried at Morven Park. His executive papers from his time as

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

can be found at the

Library of Virginia The Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia, is the library agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It serves as the archival agency and the reference library for Virginia's seat of government. The Library moved into a new building in 1997 and ...

Election

In 1917, Davis was elected Governor of Virginia with 71.47% of the vote, defeating Republican Thomas J. Muncy and Socialist Frank Smith.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Westmoreland 1859 births 1942 deaths People born at sea Columbia Law School alumni Democratic Party governors of Virginia Masters of foxhounds in the United States Virginia lawyers Virginia Military Institute alumni University of Virginia alumni People from Loudoun County, Virginia Farmers from Virginia 19th-century American lawyers 1916 United States presidential electors