Davis, Dwight Filley (1879-1945), an American statesman, established the Davis Cup in 1900. This is an annual trophy for the world champion tennis team (see Davis Cup ). Davis was a star tennis player while attending Harvard University, graduating in 1900. He was runner-up for the U.S. National Singles Championship (now the U.S. Open) in 1898 and won the doubles championship in 1899, 1900, and 1901. Davis was captain of the 1900 Davis Cup team and played on the 1902 team, both of which won the cup.
Davis served as a secretary of war from 1925 to 1929 under President Calvin Coolidge. He was governor general of the Philippine Islands from 1929 to 1932. He became director of the Specialist Corps in the U.S. Army in 1942. Davis was born on July 5, 1879, in St. Louis. He died on Nov. 28, 1945.
