Miles Dewey Davis Jr. facts for kids

Miles Dewey Davis Jr. (born March 1, 1898 – died May 21, 1962) was an American dentist. He was also the father of the famous jazz trumpeter, Miles Davis.

Early Life and Education

Miles Davis Jr. was born on March 1, 1898, in Noble Lake, Arkansas. His parents were Miles Dewey Davis Sr. and Mary (Luster) Davis. He went to school at the Arkansas State Normal School, which is now called the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science, from Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock in 1919.

He continued his studies at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. In 1924, he graduated from Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago, Illinois. Right after graduating, he started his own dental practice. He was also a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and the National Medical Association, which are groups for professionals.

Family and Children

On June 16, 1924, Miles Davis Jr. married Cloots Mae (also known as Cleota) Henry. They had three children together:

• Dorothy Mae Davis (who later became Mrs. Vincent Wilburn), born May 10, 1925 – died July 5, 1996
• Miles Dewey Davis III, born May 26, 1926 – died September 28, 1991 (He became a very famous jazz musician!)
• Vernon Napoleon Davis, born November 3, 1929 – died December 15, 1999

Making a Difference in the Community

After getting married, Davis moved his family first to Alton, Illinois, and then to East St. Louis, Illinois. In East St. Louis, he became the State Educational Director for the Elks Club, a community organization.

He was very active in his community and in politics. He was a member of several important groups, including the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the American Woodsmen, and the N.A.A.C.P.. The N.A.A.C.P. is a well-known organization that works for civil rights and equality. At one point, he even tried to win a seat in the Illinois State Legislature, though he was not successful.

Later Years and Unique Hobbies

In 1946, after his first marriage ended, Miles Davis Jr. married his second wife, Josephine. She was an assistant principal at a school. They had one son together, Joseph, who was born in 1959.

In the late 1940s, Davis bought a large piece of land, about 160 acres, in Millstadt, Illinois. This is where he started a very interesting hobby: raising special pigs called Landrace hogs. He was the first African American to raise these specific pigs.

A Successful Farmer

Even though he started raising hogs as a hobby, it became a big success! He would often have over 300 hogs on his farm at one time. He was so good at it that he would sell between $14,000 and $21,000 worth of pigs at just one auction. His Landrace hogs also won many awards at state fairs in both Missouri and Illinois.

Interestingly, the president of Tennessee A&I (now called Tennessee State University), Walter S. Davis (who was not related to Miles Davis Jr.), started a program to encourage farmers to raise these high-quality Landrace hogs. He bought his first pigs for this program from Miles Davis Jr., who had imported his special pigs all the way from Sir Winston Churchill's farm in England.

His Legacy

Miles Dewey Davis Jr. passed away in 1962 in St. Louis. He died from pneumonia after having a stroke. He is remembered not only as a dentist and the father of a jazz legend but also as a successful farmer and an active member of his community.