John P. Davis
| John P. Davis | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
John Preston Davis January 19, 1905 Washington, D.C., US |
| Died | September 11, 1973 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard Law School |
| Known for | Founder of the National Negro Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Marguerite DeMond |
John Preston Davis (January 19, 1905 – September 11, 1973) was an American journalist, lawyer and activist intellectual, who became prominent for his work with the Joint Committee on National Recovery. He co-founded the National Negro Congress in 1935, which was affiliated with the Communist Party of America.
He founded Our World magazine in 1946, a full-size, nationally distributed magazine edited for African-American readers. He also published the American Negro Reference Book, covering virtually every aspect of African-American life, present and past.
John P. Davis was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Dr. William Henry Davis and Julia Davis. His father was a graduate of Howard University and served as principal of Armstrong High School. During World War I, Dr. Davis was appointed as Secretary to Dr. Emmett Jay Scott, Special Assistant to the United States Secretary of War. In the 1920s, Dr. Davis served as Secretary to the Presidential Commission investigating the economic conditions in the Virgin Islands.
Davis attended segregated schools in Washington, D.C., graduating from the elite Dunbar High School, which stressed an academic curriculum. In 1922 he enrolled in Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. He graduated in 1926, earning an A.B. and double honors in English and Psychology. At Bates, Davis was president of Delta Sigma Rho, an honorary debating fraternity, and editor of the student publication The Bobcat.
Davis toured Europe with the Bates College debating team. He was among the first African-American men to be sent overseas under the auspices of the American University Union to engage in international debate; his team from Bates met and defeated Cambridge University. While he was an undergraduate at Bates College, Davis was nominated for a Rhodes scholarship. He contributed short stories to the magazines, The Crisis and Opportunity, published by the NAACP.
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