Doris A. Davis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doris A. Davis (born circa 1935) is a former mayor of Compton, California, who earned a place in history as the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States.

[edit] Political career

In 1973, Davis was elected to lead Compton after defeating Douglas Dollarhide who, in 1969, became Compton's first African-American mayor. Like Dollarhide, she served only one term and was succeeded in 1977 by another African-American, Lionel Cade, a former member of the city council, who also lost his re-election bid after one term, in 1981. The winner, Walter R. Tucker, Jr., also an African-American, was re-elected for two more terms and died in office in 1990 at the start of his third term. He was succeeded by his son Walter R. Tucker III.

In 1986, Davis unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the California State Assembly, 54th District. She finished third in the Democratic primary.

[edit] References

Jet, June 11, 2001, vol. 99 issue 26, p. 19
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, "Distaff mayor determined in dream for Compton", November 11, 1973, pt. A, p. 10
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, "Compton's mayor Doris Davis speaks out", April 19, 1974, p. A-2
Los Angeles Times, "Doris Davis running hard and fast", September 23, 1973, pt. 10, p1