Henry G. Davis

Life & Legacy

Henry Gassaway Davis (November 16, 1823 – March 11, 1916) was an American politician and businessman who served as a United States senator from West Virginia from 1871 to 1883. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.
Born on a farm in Howard County, Maryland, Davis became a railroad executive before branching out into coal mining and banking as founder of the Potomac and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company. He won election to both houses of the West Virginia Legislature before serving in the U.S. Senate. His younger brother, Thomas Beall Davis, also served in Congress. After his tenure in the Senate ended, Davis continued to grow his business interests. In partnership with his son-in-law, Stephen Benton Elkins, Davis created the Davis Coal and Coke Company and led it to become one of the largest coal companies in the world.
The 1904 Democratic National Convention nominated a ticket of Alton B. Parker for president and Davis for vice president. Davis was chosen primarily for his ability to provide funding to the campaign. At 80 years old, he was the oldest person ever on a major American party's national ticket. The Republican ticket of Theodore Roosevelt and Charles W. Fairbanks prevailed by a wide margin. After the election, Davis helped establish Davis & Elkins College. He died in Washington, D.C., aged 92.