13 Berkley Davis

Berkley Davis was born Lewis Berkley Davis on October 27, 1911, in Lewisport, Kentucky, to Scarlet Berkley Davis and Elora Sylvia Taylor Davis. A 6-foot-1 forward, he played for Adolph Rupp while earning an electrical engineering degree from the University of Kentucky. Davis appeared in six varsity games during his Kentucky career, scoring three points, and was a member of the Wildcats’ 1933–34 team that set a national record with 23 consecutive victories. Kentucky’s yearbook credited the defensive play of Davis and teammate Johnson as an important factor in the Wildcats’ Southeastern Tournament championship. During his time at Kentucky, he was an active member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, the Scabbard and Blade Military Society, and served on the staff of the Kentuckian yearbook.

After graduating in 1934, Davis joined the Ken-Rad Tube and Lamp Co. in Owensboro as an engineer. Following General Electric’s acquisition of the company, he rose to become a company vice president before leading GE’s Defense Programs Division until his retirement in 1976. He also served as an Owensboro city commissioner, was president of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, helped found the University of Kentucky Development Council, earned a Doctor of Science degree from Kentucky in 1973, and was inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Hall of Distinction in 1996.

He died on June 20, 1997, at his home in Fairfield, Iowa, and was buried in Lewisport Cemetery in his hometown of Lewisport, Kentucky.