In 1932, the American ambassador in Paris arranged for Dwight F. Davis to attend a session of the Chamber of Deputies. Davis was seated behind a pillar. His friend appealed to an official, telling him Davis was the former governor-general of the Philippines. This carried no weight. Davis had been Secretary of War under President Coolidge. Another shrug.
Davis’ friend then said, “This is Monsieur Davis, who gave Le Coupe Davis,” referring to the Davis Cup, the international tennis trophy Davis had commissioned in 1900, and that the French had held since 1927.
“Ah,” said the official, and led Davis to a seat in the front. Years later, when telling the story to a family member, Davis said, “Now you know what’s important in life.”
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Illustration of Dwight F. Davis from Time magazine, December 15, 1924
