Career
Davis, a Republican, challenged Harry South. Truman in the United States Senate elections, 1940 for re-election after the collapse of the big city machine of Truman’s patron Tom Pendergast. Truman was to say later that the election to become Grand Master was to be the deciding factor in the election over Davis:
He attended a meeting Davis made his usual charges. Forrest Donnell, who afterwards became Governor and Senator, was speaking from the same platform.
Donnell was just behind me in the Grand Lodge line and would be Grand Master in a year or two.
So Jim Wade went up to him.. and asked him if I could be the low sort of fellow that Davis charged and still be Grand Master of Masons of Missouri.
Davis was born in Greensburg, Kansas. He died in Kansas City, Kansas and is buried in Mount Washington Cemetery in Kansas City.
