William Z. Davis was a Republican politician in the U.S. State

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 who was an Ohio Supreme Court Judge 1900-1912.

Davis was born in Loydsville, Belmont County, Ohio

Belmont County, Ohio

Belmont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 70,400. Its county seat is St. Clairsville...

 to Dr. Bashford Washington Davis and Harriet (nee Hatcher) Davis. He was educated in the public schools and a private academy. He was a long term member of the American Microscopical Society. During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, Davis served a three month enlistment in the 4th Ohio Infantry

4th Ohio Infantry

The 4th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater in a number of campaigns and battles, but perhaps is most noted for its actions in helping secure Cemetery Hill during the Battle of...

, and afterward in the 96th Ohio Infantry

96th Ohio Infantry

The 96th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 96th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Delaware in Delaware, Ohio and mustered in for three years service on August 29, 1862 under the command of Colonel Joseph W...

, until disabled and honorably discharged in the Vicksburg Campaign

Vicksburg Campaign

The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....

.

Davis was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

, and commenced practice after recovering from war injuries. He worked in the State and Federal courts. Davis was nominated by the Republican Party for Supreme Court Justice in June, 1899, and elected in November of that year. Joseph Perry Bradbury

Joseph Perry Bradbury

Joseph Perry Bradbury was a Republican politician in the U.S. State of Ohio who was a judge on the Ohio Supreme Court 1889–1901....

 resigned from the Court January 9, 1900, and Davis was appointed the next day to fill the seat by Governor Nash

George K. Nash

thumb|right|300pxGeorge Kilborn Nash was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 41st Governor of Ohio.-Biography:...

. He entered his elected term February 9, 1900, and served until the end of 1912.