Joe W. Davis

{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Joe W. Davis |image = Mayor Joe W Davis February 1970.png |caption = Davis in February 1970 |order = 64th<ref>Before 1916, the office was known as "President." Davis was the 8th to hold the title of "Mayor."</ref> |office = Mayor of Huntsville |term_start = 1968 |term_end = 1988 |predecessor = Glenn Hearn |successor = Steve Hettinger |birth_date = {{birth date|1918|10|22}} |birth_place = Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|11|14|1918|10|22|mf=yes}} |death_place = Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |profession = Educator, businessman |blank1 = Religion |data1 = Presbyterian }} '''Joe William Davis''' (October 22, 1918 – November 14, 1992) was an American politician who served as mayor of Huntsville, Alabama, for five consecutive terms from 1968 to 1988.<ref name="hsvalgov"/> He unsuccessfully sought a sixth term. Davis is the second-longest-serving mayor of Huntsville, behind only Alex W. McAllister.

Born in nearby New Market, Alabama, Davis had worked as a teacher and a businessman before becoming Huntsville's mayor.<ref name="hhrws90"/> He was a veteran of World War II. Married with a family, Davis was a Freemason and member of Helion Lodge #1 in Huntsville. He is buried at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville.<ref name="hburial"/>

==Tributes== The Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville, home of the Huntsville Stars baseball team from 1985 through 2014, is named in his honor.<ref name="bbpilg"/> The stadium is under development to be the home of MLS Next Pro team Huntsville City Football Club whose inaugural season began in March 2023.

== References == <references>

<ref name="hsvalgov">{{cite news|publisher=City of Huntsville, Alabama |title=Huntsville's History of Mayors |url=http://www.huntsvilleal.gov/mayor/mayor_history.php |accessdate=September 12, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115072123/http://www.huntsvilleal.gov/mayor/mayor_history.php |archivedate=January 15, 2012 }}</ref> <ref name="hhrws90">{{cite news |work=The Huntsville Historical Review |publisher=The Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society |location=Huntsville, AL |title=New Market Celebrates its History |volume=17 |issue=1 |page=29 |format=PDF |url=http://huntsvillehistorycollection.org/hh/hhpics/hhr/pdf/Volume_17_1_Jan-90.pdf#page=32 |date=Winter–Spring 1990 |accessdate=May 8, 2013}}</ref> <ref name="bbpilg">{{cite web |first=Graham |last=Knight |publisher=Baseball Pilgrimages |title=Joe Davis Stadium |url=http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/minors/huntsville.html |date=June 9, 2010 |accessdate=May 8, 2013}}</ref> <ref name="hburial">{{cite web |publisher=City of Huntsville, Alabama |work=Maple Hill Cemetery Map |title=Davis, Joe W. |url=http://maps.hsvcity.com/cemetery/MapleHillMap.aspx?id=204 |accessdate=March 5, 2015 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

</references>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Joe W.}} Category:1918 births Category:1992 deaths Category:20th-century mayors of places in Alabama Category:Mayors of Huntsville, Alabama Category:People from Madison County, Alabama Category:Military personnel from Huntsville, Alabama Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American Freemasons