Davis, Benjamin Oliver, Sr.

(born July 1, 1877, Washington, D.C., U.S.—died November 26, 1970, North Chicago, Ill.) soldier who became the first black general in the U.S. Army.

After serving as a volunteer in the Spanish-American War (1898), Benjamin Davis, Sr., enlisted as a private in the 9th Cavalry of the U.S. Army. He rose to sergeant major within two years and earned a commission as a second lieutenant in 1901. In the next four decades he served in Liberia and the Philippines and taught military science at the Tuskegee Institute and at Wilberforce University. All of his duty assignments were designed to avoid a situation in which Davis might be put in command of white troops or officers. He rose slowly through the ranks, becoming the first black colonel in the army in 1930. In 1940 he was promoted to brigadier general by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After commanding the 2nd Cavalry Division in 1941, he was assigned to the office of the inspector general of the army. During World War II he headed a special unit charged with safeguarding the status and morale of black soldiers in the army, and he served in the European theatre as a special adviser on race relations. He retired in 1948 after 50 years of service.