[1] Davis was born on May 18, 1894, in Greenville, South Carolina, though he settled in Tallahassee, Florida, with his family at an early age.

He resigned the same year to enlist in the Florida Army National Guard, serving as a private with the 124th Infantry during World War I, though he did not go overseas with the American Expeditionary Force.

On December 10, 1918, Davis was discharged from the United States Army and was sent to Camp Hancock, near Augusta, Georgia, to begin his officers' training.

He would only serve for a few months, however, as he was appointed the 24th Florida Attorney General on June 4, 1927, by Governor John W. Martin, finishing the term of J.

Additionally, Davis was also a member of several fraternal orders, namely the Freemasons, the Knights Templar, the Shriners, Elks, Lions, Odd Fellows, and Phi Alpha Delta.