During his tenure, he helped Richmond win annexation cases against Henrico and Chesterfield counties.
He served as chairman of the Democratic Party's State Central Committee starting in 1940.
[2] On September 11, 1946, he was elected by the two-chamber council as mayor of Richmond, following the death in office of William C. Herbert.
He proposed a 2 percent sales tax to finance improvements to public education.
[1][2][5] On January 1, 1954, he was elected by the nine-member council as Richmond's second city manager, replacing Sherwood Reeder.
[1][2][6] During his tenure as city manager, he pushed the construction and planning of the Health-Safety-Welfare Building, construction of a jail and detention center and appropriated money for new Ninth Street and Acca railroad yard bridges.
[2] He resigned in 1967 and then worked as special counsel to the city in its annexation suit against Chesterfield County.
He also returned to his law practice with the firm Mays, Valentine, Davenport and Moore.