Clifford Davis (politician)
| Clifford Davis | |
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Davis in 1962
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 9th district |
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In office February 14, 1940 – January 3, 1943 |
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| Preceded by | Clift Chandler |
| Succeeded by | Jere Cooper |
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In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1965 |
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| Preceded by | Jere Cooper |
| Succeeded by | George Grider |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 10th district |
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In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1953 |
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| Preceded by | E. H. Crump |
| Succeeded by | District eliminated |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 18, 1897 Hazlehurst, Mississippi |
| Died | June 8, 1970 (aged 72) Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Mississippi School of Law |
Clifford Davis (November 18, 1897 – June 8, 1970) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1940 to 1965.
Davis was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, moving to Memphis with his parents at age 14. There he completed the high school curriculum of the public schools, and in 1917 he completed law school at the University of Mississippi. In 1918 he was admitted to the Tennessee bar.
In 1923, Davis became a city judge in Memphis, serving in this post until 1927. From 1928 until 1940, Davis served as vice mayor and Commissioner of Public Safety. He became a close associate of Memphis political "boss" E. H. Crump. Davis was a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and with the direction of Crump he administered a police force that was 70% KKK. The result was relatively unquestioned violence against black residents of Memphis.
In 1940, the seat for the 10th Congressional District, which included Memphis, came open after three-term incumbent Clift Chandler was elected mayor of Memphis. Crump arranged for his colleague Davis to receive the Democratic nomination for the post. In those days, the Democratic nomination was tantamount to election in most of Tennessee (except for heavily Republican East Tennessee). Davis won the special election and took office on February 15, 1940. Davis was elected to a full term in November of that year and was reelected eleven times. His district was renumbered as the 9th District after Tennessee lost a district in the 1950 Census.
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