Born January 13, 1890

Aurora, Indiana

Died May 18, 1958

Washington, D.C.

Federal administrator, radio commentator, news reporter

Elmer Davis, a popular national radio newscaster, became director of the newly formed Office of War Information (OWI), charged with coordinating government information about World War II's (1939–45) progress to the home front. It was a role that placed him in continual confrontation with U.S. military leaders concerning what the public had a right to know.

A desire to learn

Elmer Davis was born on January 13, 1890, in the southeast Indiana town of Aurora. He was raised in a family that valued education and knowledge. His father, Elam H. Davis, was a cashier at the First National Bank of Aurora, and his mother, Louise Severin, was a high school principal. During his early school years, Elmer became known for an inquiring...