Dwight Filley Davis Sr.

Dwight Filley Davis was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 5, 1879. His grandfather, Oliver Dwight Filley, was mayor of St. Louis from 1858 to 1861. A cousin, Chauncey Ives Filley, served as mayor of St. Louis from 1863 to 1864.

Davis’ first wife, Helen Brooks, whom he married in 1905, died in 1932. He married Pauline Sabin in 1936.

His daughter Alice Brooks Davis was married to the British Ambassador to the United States Sir Roger Makins. Another daughter, Cynthia Davis, was married to banker William McChesney Martin Jr., the longest-serving Federal Reserve director (1951–1970) who served under five presidents (Truman to Nixon).

He wintered in Florida from 1933 until his death, living at Meridian Plantation, near Tallahassee.

After Harvard Davis attended Washington University School of Law, though he was never a practicing attorney. He was, however, politically active in his home town of St. Louis and served as the city's public parks commissioner from 1911 to 1915. During his tenure, he expanded athletic facilities and created the first municipal tennis courts in the United States. He sought the Republican nomination in the 1920 Missouri Senate election, receiving 38.2% in the primary. He served under President Calvin Coolidge as Assistant Secretary of War (1923–1925) and as Secretary of War (1925–1929). He then served as Governor General of the Philippines (1929–1932) under Herbert Hoover.