William Newell Davis, Jr. was born in Kingsburg, CA in 1915 and lived for a number of years in Dinuba. He received a Bachelor's in History from Fresno State College in 1936, a secondary teaching credential from U.C. Berkeley in 1937, and a Master's in History from the same institution in 1938. He taught for a time at Beiber High School, then returned to U.C. and received his Doctorate in History in May of 1942. Davis served in the Army Air Force from 1942 to 1946, during which he attained the rank of captain as a combat intelligence officer. After the war he taught History at San Francisco City College, the University of Missouri, and U.C. Berkeley. In 1955 Davis was appointed as a Historian to the California State Archives. In 1964 he became Chief of Archives at that institution, and held the position until 1980.
From the description of William N. Davis, Jr. World War II collection. (California State Library). WorldCat record id: 173643461
