Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Ralph Hickman Davis papers, 1943-2021. Accession 50284. Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Clinton M. Davis of Staunton, Virginia.

Biographical Information

Ralph Hickman Davis was born 5 February 1915 in Providence, Rhode Island, to William and Rhoda Davis. He graduated from East Providence High School in 1934. Davis played baseball with some independent African American teams and with area teams, helping to desegregate the Piedmont Twilight League and the Pawtucket Inter City League. Davis also learned to fly, receiving his pilot's license in 1939, and he would eventually be inducted into the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame. Davis enlisted in the Army Air Corps in November 1941 and was a pilot, instructor, and mechanic for the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the Tuskegee Airmen. Honorably discharged in 1945, Davis settled down with his wife Mary Tate Davis in her hometown of Staunton, Virginia, and they had one son. Davis continued his interest in flying and restored a Piper Cub J-3 airplane. Davis died in 2002.

Scope and Content

Papers, 1943-2021, of Ralph Hickman Davis (1915-2002) of Rhode Island and Staunton, Virginia, consisting of articles, booklets, brochures, military records, photographs, scrapbooks, yearbooks, and other materials detailing Davis's service with the 99th Pursuit Squadron--the Tuskegee Airmen--during World War II (Tuskegee yearbook is on CD); his post-war activities in aviation; and his pre-World War II baseball activities. Collection contains articles, judicial records, photographs, receipts and other papers concerning Mary Tate Davis (1920-1983), the Davis family of Rhode Island, and the Tate and Branson families of Staunton. Collection also includes CDs containing photographs of the Davis and Tate families--many of the photographs are in the collection as hard copies. Papers also include information on the Brown Colbert (1785-1833) family and the Edmondson family of West Virginia.