Dwight Davis

Dwight Davis was an accomplished Tennis player as well as a politician. He is best known for having helped establish the Davis Cup – an international tennis competition that was named in his honor. He also led the American team to victory when they played in the cup during its first year.

Born Dwight Filley Davis in July 05, 1879 in his hometown of St. Louis Missouri, Davis was a Harvard graduate who won the 1899 intercollegiate title. He stands 6 feet and tips the scales at a hundred and 190 pounds. He is known for being a powerful left-handed player. In the 1900, Davis, together with three other tennis colleagues, helped established the International Lawn Tennis Challenge – better known today as the Davis Cup. It was Davis who donated a silver bowl – a prize that was meant to go to the winners. The bowl’s existence led his fellow players to jokingly called it ‘Dwight’s Pot’.

The original US team to play in the Davis Cup was made of Harvard men. It consisted of Davis and his schoolmates Holcombe Ward and Malcolm Whitman. He, Ward and Whitman won in a 3-0 victory against the British team. Davis also participated in the US open where he won the Doubles title for 1899 to 1901. 1901 also saw him finish as a finalist for Doubles in Wimbledon. He was also a doubles finalist in 1889 and in 1903.

Aside from Tennis, Davis also served as a politician under US President Coolidge. He was given the post of Secretary of War. He also served as Governor General to the Philippines from 1929 – 1932. Davis died in Washington on November 28, 1945. He was inducted to International Tennis Hall of Fame a few years later in 1956.