Elmer Davis

Elmer Davis (born January 13, 1890 - May 18, 1958 was prominent newsreporter, the Director of the United States Office of War Information during World War II and a Peabody Award Recipient. January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... The George Foster Peabody Awards, more commonly known as simply the Peabody Awards, are annual awards given for excellence in radio and television broadcasting and cable television within the United States. ...

Education and Early Career

Elmer Davis was born in Aurora, Indiana, the son of a cashier for the First National Bank of Aurora. One of Davis' first professional writing job was working for the Indianapolis Star, a position he held while going to Franklin College. A brilliant student, Davis received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford in 1910. However, his stay in England was cut short when his father became ill and eventuall died. Nevertheless, Davis eventually met his wife, Florence in England. Aurora is a city located in Dearborn County, Indiana. ... Franklin College was a college in New Athens, Ohio. ... Rhodes House in Oxford The Rhodes Scholarships were created by Englishman Cecil John Rhodes. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ...

Upon his return to America, Davis became an editor for Adventure magazine bu left a year later to be a reporter for the the New York Times. For the next decade, Davis would report on stories ranging from pugilist Jack Dempsey to evangelist Billy Sunday. It was his coverage of Billy Sunday that gained him noteriety. Davis left the Times and became a freelance writer. The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Billy Sunday William Ashley Billy Sunday (November 19, 1862 - November 6, 1935) was noted first as a professional baseball player, and then more famous evangelist. ...

The move to radio

In August 1939, Paul White, the news chief from Columbia Broadcasting’s news chief asked Davis to fill in as a news analyst for H. V. Kaltenborn, who was off in Europe reporting on the increasingly hostile events. Davis became an instant success. Edward R. Murrow would later comment that one reason he believed that Davis was likeable was his Hoosier accent which reminded people of a friendly neighbor. By 1941, Davis' audience for his nightly five-minute newscast and comment was 12.5 million. Edward R. Murrow, American journalist, pioneer in Broadcast journalism Edward R. Murrow, (name by birth Egbert Roscoe Murrow), (April 25, 1908 – and April 27, 1965) was an American journalist, whose radio news broadcasts during World War II were eagerly followed by millions of listeners. ... A Hoosier is a resident or native of the U.S. state of Indiana. ...

The Office of War Information

Davis spent two and a half years reporting the news on radio and gaining the trust of the nation. Then in 1941, his colleagues persuaded President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to appoint Davis head of the newly created United States Office of War Information. Even though Davis was being paid $53,000 per year from CBS, he left the station to work government during the crisis of World War II. The OWI was a sprawling organization with over 3,000 employees. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ...

After the War

After the WWII Davis continued his career in radio, a platform in which he criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy during his communist witch hunt.

Legacy

Davis, along with Edward R. Murrow were considered to be among the greatest news reporter during the middle of the 20th century. Among the many awards Davis received were 3 Peabody Awards including an award during its inagural year. Foreign governments also recognized Davis when he was inducted into the Dutch Order of Orange -- Nassau and the Czechoslovak Order of White Lion among others. The United States government thanked him for his wartime work with the Medal of Merit.