{{Short description|American politician}} {{use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder |name = Jerry Max Davis |birth_date = {{birth date|1937|10|22}} |birth_place = Carroll County, Georgia, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2002|11|02|1937|10|22}} |office = Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 45th district |term_start = 1981 |term_end = 2002 (died in office) |preceded = George B. Williamson |succeeded = |party = Republican<ref name="Braddock84">{{Citation|title=Braddock's Federal-State-local Government Directory: Volume 2|page=|publisher=Braddock Publications|work=University of Georgia|date=1984}}</ref> |spouse = Mary Donna Thomas<ref name="GeoReg_8182">{{Cite web|url=http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/statreg-images/pdfs/1981.pdf|title=Georgia Official and Statistical Register: 1981-1982|work=Georgia General Assembly|access-date=December 14, 2022}}</ref><ref name="obit_DigMem">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/atlanta-ga/mary-davis-6242966|title=Mary Thomas Davis|work=Dignity Memorial|access-date=December 14, 2022}}</ref> |children = 3<ref name="GeoReg_8182" /> |alma_mater = University of Georgia }}
'''Jerry Max Davis''' (October 22, 1937 – November 2, 2002) was an American politician. A lawyer, he served as a Republican member for the 45th district of the Georgia House of Representatives.<ref name="GeoReg_8182" />
== Life and career == J. Max Davis was born in Carroll County, Georgia, and grew up in the Atco-Goodyear textile mill village,<ref name="Atco">{{Cite web|url=https://westgatextiletrail.com/cartersville/|title=West Georgia Textile Heritage Trail|work=University of West Georgia|access-date=September 4, 2025}}</ref> in Cartersville, Georgia . He attended the University of Georgia and Woodrow Wilson College of Law.<ref name="GeoReg_8182" /> Max briefly played American football professionally for the Kansas City Chiefs, and later worked as an insurance claims representative, and later still as a lawyer.<ref name="AtlJrnlConst02"/>
In 1981, Davis was elected to the 45th district of the Georgia House of Representatives,<ref name="GeoReg_8182" /> covering part of Atlanta,<ref name="AtlJrnlConst02"/> succeeding George Williamson.<ref name="GehHse_res_81">{{Citation|title=1981 Georgia House of Representatives Results|work=Georgia General Assembly}}</ref> Described as a conservative Republican, he served until his death, at which time he was the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. Following a reapportionment in the Georgia House, and a lost primary, he was due to end his term in the House at the end of 2002.<ref name="AtlJrnlConst02"/>
Davis died in November 2002 at the age of 65, of a heart attack after attending a campaign meeting for George Bush.<ref name="AtlJrnlConst02">{{Cite web|url=http://www.avoc.info/info/article.php?article=691&ENGINEsessID=b9eed33897359a849fe9fd049d271dd8|title=Rep. J. Max Davis Dies Of Heart Attack|work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=November 4, 2002|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304230748/http://www.avoc.info/info/article.php?article=691&ENGINEsessID=b9eed33897359a849fe9fd049d271dd8|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=usurped|via=Wayback Machine}}</ref> His funeral was held at the Church of The Apostles in Atlanta.<ref name="AtlJrnlConst02"/>
Davis was married to Mary, and they had three children, Jerry Max Davis II, Todd Davis and Stacie Davis Rapson.<ref name="AtlJrnlConst02"/>
His son, J. Max Davis II, served as the first mayor of Brookhaven, Georgia.<ref name="obit_Mary">{{Cite web|url=https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2014/12/19/mary-davis-brookhaven-dies/|publisher=RoughDraft Atlanta|title=Mary Davis, Brookhaven mayor's mother passes away|date=December 19, 2014|access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Jerry Max}} Category:1937 births Category:2002 deaths Category:People from Carroll County, Georgia Category:University of Georgia alumni Category:Republican Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Category:20th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly