Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. (1877 - 1970)

Born 1 Jul 1877 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elnora (Dickerson) Davis — married 23 Oct 1902 in District of Columbia, United States

Descendants

Died 26 Nov 1970 at age 93 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Benjamin Davis Sr. is Notable.

He was the son of Louis P. H. Davis and Henrietta (née Stewart) Davis, and the father of General Benjamin O Davis, Jr. USAF, the U.S. Air Force's first African American general.

Military

• THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GENERAL OFFICER IN THE REGULAR ARMY AND IN THE U.S. ARMED FORCES

Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. (1877-1970), was one of the most important military professionals of the 19th and 20th centuries. He was the first black general in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Armed Forces. A native Washingtonian, Davis attended M Street High School and Howard University. His first tour of duty for the U.S. Army took him to the Philippines during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Davis moved up through the ranks, spending time as a professor of military science at Wilberforce and Tuskegee Universities and for the Ohio and New York National Guards. He was an officer of the 369th Antiaircraft Artillary unit, known as the 'Harlem Rattlers', stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during World War II ^[1]

Davis worked in a number of positions for the armed forces over a span of 50 years before retiring in 1948, the same year that President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 barring segregation in the armed forces. He received the Bronze Star Medal and the Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his service as an inspector of troop units in the field and as special War Department consultant on matters pertaining to African American troops.^[2][3][4][5]

Additionally, General Davis was awarded an Honorary Degree of LL.D. from Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia. His foreign awards and honors consisted of the Croix de Guerre with Palm from France and the Grade of Commander of the Order of the Star of Africa from Liberia.

In January 1997 the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in their Black Heritage Stamp series to honor the service and contributions of Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis.^[6]

Early Life

Benjamin married Elnora Dickerson in 1902 while still living in Washington, DC.^[7] Elnora passed away in 1916 after having three children.

• Olive E Davis 1905–1972
• General Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. 1912–2002
• Elnora D Davis 1916–2004

Personal Life

Benjamin married Sadie Elizabeth Overtan in 1919 while stationed in the Philippines. ^[8]

Living in the Philippines in the 1920s the family was enumerated on the 1920 U.S. Federal Population Census. ^[9] In the 1930s the family is living in Xenia, Ohio. ^[10] In the 1940s the Benjamin and Sadie are now living in New York City and the young adults are no longer in the home. ^[11]

Benjamin passed in 1970 and was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. ^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/03/07/documentary-tell-story-all-black-army-unit-that-protected-hawaii-wwii/?fbclid=IwAR2oEN72HGc56xORYwidIGhN-TZ9b6NU41MV8X3aVKbmTvKAgXjiCmVm2Io
2. ↑ https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/web/portal/benjamin-o.-davis-sr.-residence-african-american-heritage-trail
3. ↑ "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP5Y-2H7K : 3 September 2021), Benjamin Oliver Davis, 31 Jul 1948; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.
4. ↑ Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_O._Davis_Sr. Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr.
5. ↑ Army History https://history.army.mil/html/topics/afam/davis.html Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr.
6. ↑ https://history.army.mil/html/topics/afam/davis.html
7. ↑ "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLQC-NJR : 9 March 2021), Benjamin O Davis and Elnora Dickerson, 23 Oct 1902; citing p. 19442, Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,108,223.
8. ↑ "Philippines Marriages, 1723-1957", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FN73-YMZ : 15 February 2020), Benjamin Oliver Davis, 1919.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch ([1] : 4 February 2021), Benjamin O Davis, 1920.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch ([2] : accessed 25 October 2021), Benjamin O Davis, Xenia, Greene, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 25, sheet 5B, line 68, family 151, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1804; FHL microfilm 2,341,538.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch ([3] : 21 January 2020), Benjamin Davis, Assembly District 22, Manhattan, New York City, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 31-1949B, sheet 3B, line 58, family 75, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2671.
12. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch ([4] : 10 September 2021), Benjamin Oliver Davis, ; Burial, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America, Arlington National Cemetery; citing record ID 13121, Find a Grave, [5].

• "United States Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDR-Z113 : 3 March 2021), Benjamin O Davis, 14 Jun 1899; citing p. 347, volume 098, Washington, , D C, United States, NAR...
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6C3-JTF : 11 August 2017), Benjamin Davis in household of Charlotte Stewart, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 4, sheet 93A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0121; FHL microfilm 1,254,121.
• "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLQC-NJR : 10 March 2018), Benjamin O Davis and Elnora Dickerson, 23 Oct 1902; citing p. 19442, Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,108,223.
• Fletcher, M. America's first Black general: Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.,1880-1970. University Press of Kansas, 1989.

See also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_O._Davis_Sr.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #13121
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LTVW-NP1