John Preston Davis (1905 - 1973)

Born 19 Jan 1905 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Marguerite Lula (DeMond) Davis — married 10 Nov 1932 (to 10 Sep 1973) in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

Died 11 Sep 1973 at age 68 in New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

John Davis is Notable.

John Preston Davis was an American journalist, lawyer and activist.

John Preston Davis was born in 1905. He was the son of William Davis and Julia Hubbard.^[1][2] He graduated from Dunbar High School. He attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and Harvard Law School.^[3]

John married Marguerite L. Demond on November 10, 1932, in Manhattan, New York.^[4]

In the mid-1930s he was president of the National Negro Congress, an early Black civil rights organization. In 1945 he founded Our World magazine, and was editor and publisher until 1956. He was the principal fundraiser for the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts from 1958 to 1961. He wrote The American Negro Reference Book in 1966.^[3][5]

John died Monday, September 11, 1973, in New York City, after a long illness. Funeral services were Thursday, September 13, 1973, at McGuire Funeral Home, 1820 9th St N.W. He was buried at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2NM-6ZM : accessed 18 May 2021), John P Davis in household of William H Davis, Oxon Hill, Prince George's, Maryland, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 73, sheet 3A, family 45, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 567; FHL microfilm 1,374,580.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNLY-KFY : 1 February 2021), John Davis in entry for William Davis, 1920.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "John Preston Davis, 68, Wrote Work on Blacks." Evening Star (Washington, DC), Thursday, September 13, 1973, page 29; available on Genealogy Bank.
4. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24DF-VM8 : 10 February 2018), John P. Davis and Marguerite L. Demond, 10 Nov 1932; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,684,695.
5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "John P. Davis," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_P._Davis (accessed May 18, 2021).
6. ↑ "John Preston Davis." Evening Star (Washington, DC), Wednesday, Sep 12, 1973, page 58; available on Genealogy Bank.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K73Q-DMZ : 29 May 2020), John R Davis, Tract 93, District of Columbia, Police Precinct 12, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1-484, sheet 11A, line 3, family 21, 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 569.