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Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 37th Governor of California from 1999 to 2003. A member of the Democratic Party, only months into his second term, in 2003 Davis was recalled and removed from office, the second state governor successfully recalled in U.S. history. Prior to serving as Governor, Davis was Chief of Staff to Governor Jerry Brown (1975–1981), a California State Assemblyman (1983–1987), California State Controller (1987–1995) and the 44th Lieutenant Governor of California (1995–1999). Davis holds a B.A. in history from Stanford University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his service as a Captain in the Vietnam War. During his time as Governor, Davis made education his top priority and California spent eight billion dollars more than was required under Proposition 98 during his first term. Under Davis, California standardized test scores increased for five straight years.〔 Davis signed the nation's first state law requiring automakers to limit auto emissions. Davis supported laws to ban assault weapons and he is also credited with improving relations between California and Mexico. Davis began his tenure as Governor with strong approval ratings, but those ratings declined as voters blamed Davis for the California electricity crisis and the California budget crisis that followed the bursting of the dot-com bubble. Voters were also alienated by Davis' record-breaking fundraising efforts and negative campaigning.〔(Davis Loyalists Give Cruz Cold Shoulder ) by Ballon, Marc. JewishJournal.com. Copyright 2006-2007. Retrieved September 17, 2007.〕 On October 7, 2003, Davis was recalled in the second of three such elections in U.S. history, which include the removal of Lynn Frazier of North Dakota in 1921 and the unsuccessful recall of Scott Walker of Wisconsin in 2012. He was succeeded in office on November 17, 2003 by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who won the recall replacement race. Davis spent 1,778 days as Governor and signed 5,132 bills out of 6,244, vetoing 1,112 bills.〔Salladay, Robert. (State of Transition: End of the Davis era, Tempered temperament led state. ) The San Francisco Chronicle. Wednesday, November 12, 2003. Retrieved August 22, 2007.〕 Since being recalled, Davis has worked as a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, as an attorney at Loeb & Loeb and sat on the Board of Directors of the animation company DiC Entertainment. ==Early life and political career == Davis was born in the Bronx, New York City, the son of Doris (Meyer) Morell and Joseph G. Davis. Davis moved to California with his family as a child in 1954. He was the first of the family's five children: three boys and two girls. He was raised a Roman Catholic. Davis and his family were one of the millions of Americans to migrate to the southwest and California as part of the post-World War II sun belt migration. His diverse educational experiences at public, private and Catholic schools allowed him an opportunity to compare all three systems as a lawmaker.〔 Davis graduated from a North Hollywood military academy, the Harvard School for Boys (now part of Harvard-Westlake School). Davis' family was upper middle class and was led by his demanding mother.〔Chorneau, Tom. "Davis' career one of survival despite long odds." Associated Press State & Local Wire. Wednesday, September 10, 2003. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis on August 11, 2007.〕 Davis was nicknamed Gray by his mother.〔(Full Biography for Gray Davis, November 5, 2002 Election ) Created by the candidates. League of Women Voters of California Education Fund. Retrieved August 22, 2007.〕 His father, Joseph Graham Davis, Sr., an advertising manager at Time Inc. and an alcoholic, was the son of businessman William Rhodes Davis.〔 His strong academic accomplishments earned him acceptance to Stanford University.〔 He played on the Stanford golf team with a two handicap.〔(Bright Days for Gray Davis ) by Balzar, John. The Los Angeles Times〕 After Davis entered Stanford University, his father left the family, forcing Davis to join the ROTC to stay in school. The deal included a promise to enter the regular Army after completing his education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at Stanford, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity, graduating in 1964 with distinction. He then returned to New York to attend Columbia Law School where he won the Moot Court award. During law school Davis had a romantic encounter with actress Cybill Shepherd.〔(Schwarzenegger Talks Economics ) CNN〕 He graduated from Columbia in 1967 and then clerked at the law firm of Beekman & Bogue in New York City. After completing the program in 1967 he entered active duty in the United States Army, serving in the Vietnam War during its height until 1969.〔(Davis: A shining resume, a resounding defeat ) from CNN.com, Wednesday October 8, 2004. Retrieved September 8, 2007.〕 Davis saw time on the battlefield during his time in Vietnam.〔 Davis returned home as a captain with a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. Friends who knew him at the time said Davis— like many war veterans— came back a changed man, interested in politics and more intense, according to the Sacramento Bee.〔 He returned from Vietnam more "serious and directed."〔 Davis was surprised to discover that many of those serving in Vietnam were Latinos, African Americans and southern whites with very few from schools like Stanford and Columbia; Davis believed that the burden of the war should be felt equally and he resolved early on to go about changing America so that would change. Davis is a life member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Davis volunteered for the campaign of John V. Tunney for the United States Senate in 1970.〔 He started a statewide neighborhood crime watch program while serving as chairman of the California Council on Criminal Justice.〔 His initial political experience included working to help Tom Bradley win election as Los Angeles' first black mayor in 1973. The historical significance of Bradley's victory further inspired Davis to pursue a career in politics.〔 Davis ran for State Treasurer in 1974 but lost when the more popular Jesse Unruh filed to run on the deadline.〔 Davis returned to California and entered politics, serving as Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff to Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. from 1975 to 1981. Davis was not as liberal as Brown and some said he offset Brown's style by projecting a more intense, controlled personality.〔 While Brown was campaigning for President in 1980, Davis ran California in Brown's absence though Davis would later claim that "we always did what he thought Brown would have done." He met his wife-to-be, Sharon Ryer, while on an airplane tending to official business in 1978. Ryer, a flight attendant for Pacific Southwest Airlines, was annoyed when Davis held up the departure of the flight from Sacramento to Los Angeles. Davis apologized and asked her out and they later married in 1983, with California Supreme Court justice Rose Bird officiating. He was elected to the office of Assemblyman from the 43rd district, representing parts of Los Angeles County including West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills〔(The New Governors ). The Washington Post. Thursday, November 5, 1998; Page A41. Retrieved September 8, 2007.〕 from 1983-7. Davis championed a popular campaign to help find missing children by placing their pictures on milk cartons and grocery bags.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gray Davis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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