Early Life and Political Career
Born in the Bronx, New York City, Davis moved to California with his family as a child in 1954. He was the first of the family's five children: three boys and two girls. He was raised a Roman Catholic. Davis and his family were one of the millions of Americans to migrate to the southwest and California as part of the post-World War II sun belt migration.
His diverse educational experiences at public, private and Catholic schools allowed him an opportunity to compare all three systems as a lawmaker. Davis graduated from a North Hollywood military academy, the Harvard School for Boys (now part of Harvard-Westlake School). Davis' family was upper middle class and was led by his demanding mother. Davis was nicknamed Gray by his mother. His father, Joseph Graham Davis, Sr., an advertising manager at Time, Inc. and an alcoholic, was the son of William Rhodes Davis.
His strong academic accomplishments earned him acceptance to Stanford University. He played on the Stanford golf team with a two handicap. After Davis entered Stanford University, his father left the family, forcing Davis to join the ROTC to stay in school. The deal included a promise to enter the regular Army after completing his education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at Stanford, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity, graduating in 1964 with distinction. He then returned to New York to attend Columbia Law School where he won the Moot Court award. During law school Davis had a romantic encounter with actress Cybill Shepherd. He graduated from Columbia in 1967 and then clerked at the law firm of Beekman & Bogue in New York City.
After completing the program in 1967 he entered active duty in the United States Army, serving in the Vietnam War during its height until 1969. Davis saw time on the battlefield during his time in Vietnam. Davis returned home as a captain with a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. Friends who knew him at the time said Davis— like many war veterans— came back a changed man, interested in politics and more intense, according to the Sacramento Bee. He returned from Vietnam more "serious and directed." Davis was surprised to discover that the majority of those serving in Vietnam were Latinos, African Americans and southern whites with very few from schools like Stanford and Columbia; Davis believed that the burden of the war should be felt equally and he resolved early on to go about changing America so that would change. Davis is a life member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Davis volunteered for the campaign of John V. Tunney for the United States Senate in 1970. He started a statewide neighborhood crime watch program while serving as chairman of the California Council on Criminal Justice. His initial political experience included working to help Tom Bradley win election as Los Angeles' first black mayor in 1973. The historical significance of Bradley's victory further inspired Davis to pursue a career in politics. Davis ran for State Treasurer in 1974 but lost when the more popular Jesse Unruh filed to run on the deadline.
Davis returned to California and entered politics, serving as Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff to Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. from 1975 to 1981. In 1976, while Chief of Staff, Davis was suspended from the State Bar of California on the first of two occasions for failure to pay his yearly State Bar dues on time. Each time Davis then paid his dues and was automatically reinstated. Davis was not as liberal as Brown and some said he offset Brown's style by projecting a more intense, controlled personality. While Brown was campaigning for President in 1980, Davis ran California in Brown's absence though Davis would later claim that "we always did what he thought Brown would have done."
He met his wife-to-be, Sharon Ryer, while on an airplane tending to official business in 1978. Ryer, a flight attendant for Pacific Southwest Airlines, was annoyed when Davis held up the departure of the flight from Sacramento to Los Angeles. Davis apologized and asked her out and they later married in 1983, with California Supreme Court justice Rose Bird officiating.
He was elected to the office of Assemblyman from the 43rd district, representing parts of Los Angeles County including West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 1983-7. Davis championed a popular campaign to help find missing children by placing their pictures on milk cartons and grocery bags.
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