Fulham Davies
Encyclopedia
Fulham Fairchild Davies, known as Ki Davies (February 22, 1890–February 18, 1973), was an Arkansas
business
man who in 1923 opened the Merrill Lynch
office in Little Rock
. He managed to keep his affiliate of the then Fenner and Beane (later Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith) intact during the Great Depression
at a time when such offices in many other cities that size had failed.
, Montana
, to Robert Geddes and Margaret
Fulham Davies. His paternal grandfather, Anthony Harpin Davies, was a plantation owner in Lake Village
, the seat of Chicot County
in the southeastern corner of Arkansas. Anthony Davies was also the president of the First Arkansas Bank and a member of both the Arkansas Territorial Convention and the first Arkansas General Assembly
, formed at statehood in 1836. Robert Davies incorporated Hot Springs
, the resort city and county seat
of Garland County, and served as the first city attorney
there.
Davies launched his career in Oklahoma
as a telegraph operator in the stock brokerage business. Before he opened the Little Rock Merrill Lynch office, he had operated a Fenner and Beane branch at Hot Springs, and earlier he had been a telegraph
operator at Ottawa, Canada
, during two sessions of the Canadian Parliament.
Davies was also involved in community theater, his original interest sparked by an Elks Club
production. In the early 1950s
, Davies, made his last appearance on stage at a Kiwanis International minstrel show
. He was involved in a motion picture venture with a partner in Hot Springs, and the pair produced a silent documentary
entitled "The Human Shield". Davies directed the film and played the lead role. During the production, he met Aline Lower, whom he married thereafter.
Davies was a member of the Trinity Episcopal
Cathedral, the Little Rock Club, Rotary International
, and the Merrill Lynch Quarter Century Club. After World War II
, he was an American Red Cross
volunteer at the Veterans Administration
hospital in North Little Rock
.
Davies died in Plant City
near Tampa
, Florida
, four days before his 83rd birthday. He was survived by three daughters, Margaret Cameron Davies Carner (1923–1997), married to Joseph Norbert Carner, from Little Rock but of Tallahassee
, Florida, at the time of her death; Alice D. Harris (1916–1992), married to James R. Harris, of Tampa, and Kilene D. Speck (1921–1988), then of Plant City and later of Grant, Florida, and seven grandchildren. A son-in-law, Jefferson W. Speck
, was a World War II POW
and the 1950 and 1952 Arkansas Republican
gubernatorial nominee against the Democrat
s Sid McMath
and Francis Cherry
, respectively.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man who in 1923 opened the Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
office in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. He managed to keep his affiliate of the then Fenner and Beane (later Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith) intact during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
at a time when such offices in many other cities that size had failed.
Biography
Davies was born in HelenaHelena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, to Robert Geddes and Margaret
Fulham Davies. His paternal grandfather, Anthony Harpin Davies, was a plantation owner in Lake Village
Lake Village, Arkansas
Lake Village is a city in Chicot County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,823 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Chicot County.Lake Village is named for its location on Lake Chicot, an oxbow lake formed from the Mississippi River...
, the seat of Chicot County
Chicot County, Arkansas
Chicot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population is 11,800. The county seat is Lake Village. Chicot County is Arkansas's tenth county, formed on October 25, 1823, and named after Point Chicot on the Mississippi River.Landmarks around the county include...
in the southeastern corner of Arkansas. Anthony Davies was also the president of the First Arkansas Bank and a member of both the Arkansas Territorial Convention and the first Arkansas General Assembly
Arkansas General Assembly
The Arkansas General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 members. All 135 representatives and state senators...
, formed at statehood in 1836. Robert Davies incorporated Hot Springs
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, the resort city and county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Garland County, and served as the first city attorney
City attorney
A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....
there.
Davies launched his career in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
as a telegraph operator in the stock brokerage business. Before he opened the Little Rock Merrill Lynch office, he had operated a Fenner and Beane branch at Hot Springs, and earlier he had been a telegraph
operator at Ottawa, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, during two sessions of the Canadian Parliament.
Davies was also involved in community theater, his original interest sparked by an Elks Club
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
production. In the early 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, Davies, made his last appearance on stage at a Kiwanis International minstrel show
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
. He was involved in a motion picture venture with a partner in Hot Springs, and the pair produced a silent documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
entitled "The Human Shield". Davies directed the film and played the lead role. During the production, he met Aline Lower, whom he married thereafter.
Davies was a member of the Trinity Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Cathedral, the Little Rock Club, Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, and the Merrill Lynch Quarter Century Club. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was an American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
volunteer at the Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
hospital in North Little Rock
North Little Rock, Arkansas
the city was 62.55% White, 33.98% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races...
.
Davies died in Plant City
Plant City, Florida
Plant City is a city in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. The population was 34,721 at the 2010 census....
near Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, four days before his 83rd birthday. He was survived by three daughters, Margaret Cameron Davies Carner (1923–1997), married to Joseph Norbert Carner, from Little Rock but of Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, Florida, at the time of her death; Alice D. Harris (1916–1992), married to James R. Harris, of Tampa, and Kilene D. Speck (1921–1988), then of Plant City and later of Grant, Florida, and seven grandchildren. A son-in-law, Jefferson W. Speck
Jefferson W. Speck
Jefferson W. Speck was a planter and businessman from Mississippi County, Arkansas, who was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1950 and again in 1952. He was a leader in the Dwight D...
, was a World War II POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and the 1950 and 1952 Arkansas Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
gubernatorial nominee against the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
s Sid McMath
Sid McMath
Sidney Sanders McMath was a decorated U.S. Marine, attorney and the 34th Governor of Arkansas who, in defiance of his state's political establishment, championed rapid rural electrification, massive highway and school construction, the building of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences,...
and Francis Cherry
Francis Cherry
Francis Adams Cherry was the 35th Governor of Arkansas, elected as a Democrat for a single two-year term from 1953 to 1955. He was only the second governor in Arkansas history to have been denied a second term—the first was Tom Jefferson Terral, who was defeated in 1926. After the...
, respectively.