Ben G. Davis was born around 1866 in Shannon, Illinois. Little information is available about his early life or education. Davis took a position as private secretary to William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) in 1895, the last year Bryan served in the House of Representatives. He also worked with Bryan during the latter's campaigns for president in 1894 and 1896. When Bryan was appointed Secretary of State by President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) in 1913, he chose Davis to be chief clerk of the State Department. Davis held the position until 1924, when he took a posting as disbursing officer for the State Department in Cuba. It is unclear how long he held the position.
Davis and his wife, Annie L. Davis (1866-1958) married in 1887 in Knoxville, Tennessee. They moved to Takoma Park, Maryland in 1895. Davis was an active participant in community affairs, and was appointed town clerk and treasurer in 1906, a position he held for 20 years. He was elected mayor in 1926 and held the office until 1932, when he was defeated after a bitterly contested campaign. Davis died 20 October 1946.
From the guide to the Ben G. Davis Letter, 8 May 1922, (Thomas Balch Library)
