Robert William Davis
Encyclopedia
Robert William "Bob" Davis (July 31, 1932 – October 16, 2009) was an American
politician
from the state of Michigan
. He represented the state's 11th congressional district
, which at that time included the Upper Peninsula and a large portion of Northern Michigan
, in the United States House of Representatives
from 1979 until 1993.
. His family moved to St. Ignace
soon after his birth, where he attended public schools. He graduated from LaSalle High School in 1950. He attended Northern Michigan University
, Hillsdale College
, and the College of Mortuary Sciences at Wayne State University
. Before entering politics, Davis served as Funeral Director at the Davis Funeral Home in St. Ignace.
and was subsequently re-elected to the six succeeding Congresses. Davis did not seek re-election in 1992. In Congress, Davis helped establish the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
and the Keweenaw National Historical Park
.
In early 1992, Davis was implicated in the House banking scandal
or congressional check-kiting scandal. The Congress ran its own bank and allowed members who wished to do so to frequently write overdrawn or insufficient fund checks to their account. Davis was one of the most notorious of these, writing many overdrawn checks. There was no illegality, though, since the bank allowed members overdraft protection.
For the elections of 1992, after redistricting due to the 1990 Census
, most of what had been 11th congressional district became Michigan's 1st congressional district
, while the 11th district was apportioned to represent a part of the Metro Detroit
area. In 1992, Democrat Bart Stupak
was elected from 1st district, succeeding Davis as U.S. Representative for the U.P. and Northern Michigan. Stupak, coincidentally, defeated Philip Ruppe
, the man Davis replaced as congressman in 1978. Davis lived in Gaylord, Michigan
.
.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times of May 31, 1989, Davis revealed that he hired a woman with whom he lived for his committee staff, but he said he had not violated House rules. Davis was separated from his third wife, Marty Davis
, and had filed for divorce. He acknowledged recommending that Brook Ball, 27, be hired for the House Merchant Marine staff. He married Ball, who survives him, as do his five children.
Davis died on October 16, 2009 at a hospice in Arlington, Virginia at age 77 of heart and kidney failure.
Robert is interred at Protestant Cemetery Mackinac Island Michigan, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He represented the state's 11th congressional district
Michigan's 11th congressional district
Michigan's 11th congressional district is a United States Congressional District located just northwest of Detroit, consisting of northwestern Wayne and southwestern Oakland counties...
, which at that time included the Upper Peninsula and a large portion of Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
, in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1979 until 1993.
Early life
Davis was born in Marquette, MichiganMarquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
. His family moved to St. Ignace
St. Ignace, Michigan
Saint Ignace, usually written as St. Ignace, is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,678. It is the county seat of Mackinac County. From the Lower Peninsula, St. Ignace is the gateway to the Upper Peninsula.St...
soon after his birth, where he attended public schools. He graduated from LaSalle High School in 1950. He attended Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University is a four-year college public university established in 1899 located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest...
, Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
, and the College of Mortuary Sciences at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
. Before entering politics, Davis served as Funeral Director at the Davis Funeral Home in St. Ignace.
Political career
In 1966, Davis was elected as a Republican to the Michigan House of Representatives from the state's 106th District and was reelected in 1968. In 1970, Davis was elected to the Michigan State Senate from the 37th District and was reelected in 1974. He served as the Majority Whip, 1970–1974, and as Senate Republican Leader, 1974–1978. In 1978, Davis was elected to the 96th United States Congress96th United States Congress
The Ninety-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1979 to January 3, 1981, during the last two years...
and was subsequently re-elected to the six succeeding Congresses. Davis did not seek re-election in 1992. In Congress, Davis helped establish the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary on Thunder Bay, part of Lake Huron, within the U.S. state of Michigan. The sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth...
and the Keweenaw National Historical Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan...
.
In early 1992, Davis was implicated in the House banking scandal
House banking scandal
The House banking scandal broke in early 1992, when it was revealed that the United States House of Representatives allowed members to overdraw their House checking accounts without risk of being penalized by the House bank ....
or congressional check-kiting scandal. The Congress ran its own bank and allowed members who wished to do so to frequently write overdrawn or insufficient fund checks to their account. Davis was one of the most notorious of these, writing many overdrawn checks. There was no illegality, though, since the bank allowed members overdraft protection.
For the elections of 1992, after redistricting due to the 1990 Census
United States Census, 1990
The Twenty-first United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 248,709,873, an increase of 9.8 percent over the 226,545,805 persons enumerated during the 1980 Census....
, most of what had been 11th congressional district became Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States Congressional district containing the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan as well as part of the Lower Peninsula. Currently the district is represented by Republican Dan Benishek.-Geography:...
, while the 11th district was apportioned to represent a part of the Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
area. In 1992, Democrat Bart Stupak
Bart Stupak
Bartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak is a lobbyist and American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the U.S. Representative from from 1993 to 2011....
was elected from 1st district, succeeding Davis as U.S. Representative for the U.P. and Northern Michigan. Stupak, coincidentally, defeated Philip Ruppe
Philip Ruppe
Philip Edward Ruppe is a former politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and a member of the Republican Party. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1979 before running, unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1982. He is a Korean War veteran, having served as a...
, the man Davis replaced as congressman in 1978. Davis lived in Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
.
Post-Congressional career and life
He became a lobbyist for K&L Gates. His biography there advises that he was active in the Bush campaign, having served on the Michigan Bush Committee. He was a friend and former colleague of Vice President Dick CheneyDick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times of May 31, 1989, Davis revealed that he hired a woman with whom he lived for his committee staff, but he said he had not violated House rules. Davis was separated from his third wife, Marty Davis
Marty Davis
Marty Davis is a former network radio and television news anchor with a master's degree in journalism from the American University, Washington, D.C....
, and had filed for divorce. He acknowledged recommending that Brook Ball, 27, be hired for the House Merchant Marine staff. He married Ball, who survives him, as do his five children.
Davis died on October 16, 2009 at a hospice in Arlington, Virginia at age 77 of heart and kidney failure.
Robert is interred at Protestant Cemetery Mackinac Island Michigan, USA