Talk:William Rhodes Davis

Original research
I am slightly concerned that the section on Davis's relationship to Gray Davis includes original research (it reaches a conclusion about the relationship between WRD and GD that is not explicitly stated in any of the sources). Since this is potentially controversial claim about a living person, and since I cannot find a reliable source that makes the claim outright, I have asked for feedback on this at the Biographies of Living Persons Noticeboard. Gonzonoir (talk) 08:23, 1 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I have in this diff removed material that I believe contravenes the original research policy by synthesizing material to reach a claim not explicitly made in any of the sources. I have no opinion on whether the claim is true, but I'm concerned that we respect biographies of living persons policy here and not advance claims that are not explicitly attested in reliable sources. Gonzonoir (talk) 08:33, 1 July 2010 (UTC)

I have responded to your criticism by documenting the facts that Doris Jane Davis Ross, is clearly documented as being the granddaughter of THIS William Rhodes Davis, and that Doris Jane Davis Ross is the sister of Gray Davis, and that they have the same parents, Doris Jane Meyer Morell and Joseph Graham Davis Sr. I have documented the facts that Joseph Graham Davis Sr., the father of Doris Jane Davis Ross and Gray Davis, is the son of William Rhodes Davis and Pearl Peter, later known as Mrs. Paul C. Matthews. I've left it to the reader to decide whether or not Doris Jane Davis Ross and her brother, unsigned comment added by Ruidoso (talk • contribs) 22:59, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks for spending the time adding the citations. I am happier with the article's current formulation because it places much less weight on this aspect. What I'd still really like to see, though, is some direct citation to a single third party source that explicitly makes the connection between WRD and GD. Without that, I am not sure that the fact is notable enough (in the Wikipedia sense, of covered substantially in a reliable source) to merit inclusion. Gonzonoir (talk) 07:42, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

All of which info is original research and of little significance in a bio of this man in any case. Try starting a an entry on the Davis family tree. Bmclaughlin9 (talk) 02:34, 15 July 2012 (UTC)

Kindly refrain from arbitrarily doing what amounts to almost an entire rewrite of an article that has stood the test of several years time, after a consensus was reached, following an actual discussion. The record on this page supports why the article is presented the way it was presented before your wholesale rewrite. You're rewrite can be interpreted as vandalism, because of substitution of facts and deletions performed as an edict, instead of in a cooperative approach. If you want to make such a radical alteration, take your proposed rewrite to arbitration. Ruidoso (talk) 04:13, 23 July 2012 (UTC)
 * You mention a previous discussion that reached a consensus but I can't find any record on this talk page (unless you mean the brief exchange at the top of this page). Can you please provide a link to where the discussion is recorded? Also you may wish to read the bold, revert, discuss essay. Bmclaughlin9 was Bold, you Reverted and now we have the Discussion. It would be incorrect to describe Bmclaughlin9's actions as vandalism. Road Wizard (talk) 20:10, 12 October 2012 (UTC)
 * I came here following a request for help at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Biography and assumed that this was a current issue. However I see that the reverting editor has not edited since July so it is unlikely they will respond in the short term. I will therefore go ahead and review the sources in the current version of the article. Road Wizard (talk) 20:16, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

Bmclaughlin9 edited out all supporting citations supporting the following, edited in by Bmclaughlin9 in "Notes" area created by Bmclaughlin9:

''Joseph Graham Davis fathered California Gov. Gray Davis. See Tom Chorneau, "Davis' career one of survival despite long odds," Associated Press State & Local Wire, September 10, 2003. Accessed August 11, 2007.''

Since all supporting citations were deleted, there is nothing remaining in the article supporting the familial relationship of Gray Davis's father with the subject of the article. So.... why not just finish "the job" of completely disassociating Gray Davis from his grandfather, William Rhodes Davis? Why leave this description, since Bmclaughlin9 purposely deleted all support for the notion that Joseph Graham Davis who was the son of William Rhodes Davis, was the same Joseph Graham Davis who was the father of former California governor, Gray Davis? The citation attributed to Tom Chorneau certainly offers no support for the point that the son of William Rhodes Davis fathered Gray Davis. Ruidoso (talk) 03:06, 22 December 2012 (UTC)

I did as you suggest. If you publish your original genealogical research, we'll have a good citation to use and can restore the statement. On Gray Davis, you'll find:


 * His father, Joseph Graham Davis, Sr., an advertising manager at Time, Inc. and an alcoholic, was the son of William Rhodes Davis.
 * citing
 * Chorneau, Tom. "Davis' career one of survival despite long odds." Associated Press State & Local Wire. Wednesday, September 10, 2003. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis on August 11, 2007.

Perhaps if you make the same objection to the use of Chorneau there we'll see what whoever added that has to say. Bmclaughlin9 (talk) 17:36, 22 December 2012 (UTC)

The Chorneay citation displayed in the Gray Davis article merely supports the premise that Joseph Graham Davis, Sr. was the father of Gray Davis, aka Joseph Graham Davis, Jr. Until you edited out all of the descriptions and supporting citations originally displayed in the article titled William Rhodes Davis, the description of the relationship between Joseph Graham Davis, Sr. and William Rhodes Davis was supported by simply including William Rhodes Davis in the Gray Davis wikipedia article. Congratulations to you, mission accomplished! Ruidoso (talk) 22:28, 30 December 2012 (UTC)

Articles for deletion nomination of William Rhodes Davis
I have nominated my own article for deletion. Influencing me to make this deletion nomination is the what I call the Dorothy Howell Rodham principle. If a wikipedia editor took it upon herself to edit out all references and supporting citations of the realtionship of Dorothy Howell Rodham with her daughter, Hillary Rodham Clinton,''' (Does methodical editing out all references to what supports notability of a subject amount to vandalism, or is it just SOP?)''' it would follow that Dorothy Howell Rodham would no longer be of sufficient notability to be the subject of a wikipedia article and there would be no call for creation of a Howell or Rodham genealogy to enhance her notability. Ruidoso (talk) 22:18, 30 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Davis is notable in his own right. If he were only the grandfather of a California governor, I'd call him non-notable.
 * I deleted original research. The rest is noise.
 * I note as well the inverse case of Articles_for_deletion/Joseph_Graham_Davis,_Sr.

Bmclaughlin9 (talk) 03:25, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

Working with Fred Koch
Should his work with Fred C. Koch, the father of the Koch Brothers, be included? https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/us/politics/father-of-koch-brothers-helped-build-nazi-oil-refinery-book-says.html LamontCranston (talk) 04:39, 28 August 2020 (UTC)