Davies, John Paton, 1908-1999

John Paton Davies was born on April 6, 1908, in Kiating, China. He attended the University of Wisconsin in 1928 and 1929, and Yenching University in 1930. He received a B.S. from Columbia University in 1931. He was a Foreign Service officer for the Department of State, 1932 to 1954, serving in Canada, China, Burma, India, U.S.S.R., Germany, and Peru. In the 1950s, Davies was discredited and driven from the Foreign Service by Senator Joseph McCarthy. He settled with his family in Peru, where he ran a furniture business, Estilo S.A., 1956 to 1964, and won awards for his innovative designs. In 1964, he returned to Washington for a brief period of writing, then moved to Spain in the 1970s and wrote newspaper articles and gave lectures. In 1972, David Halberstam covered Davies' struggle with the State Department in his book, The Best and the Brightest. Davies died on December 23, 1999 in Asheville, North Carolina.

From the description of Davies, John Paton, 1908-1999 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10573605