Editing Gray Davis (section)

==Early life, education, and military service ==
Davis was born in [[the Bronx]], New York City, the son of Doris (Meyer) Morell and Joseph Graham Davis. Davis was the oldest of five children: Three boys and two girls.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-04-me-morell4-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Valerie J. | last=Nelson | title=Doris Meyer Morell, 83; Mother of Gray Davis Helped in His Campaigns | date=October 4, 2006 | access-date=October 24, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111154645/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/04/local/me-morell4 | archive-date=November 11, 2012 | url-status=live }}</ref> Davis's father, an advertising manager at Time Inc. and an alcoholic, was the son of businessman [[William Rhodes Davis]].<ref name="survival"/> Davis' upper-middle-class family was led by his demanding mother,<ref name="survival">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.</ref> who gave him the nickname "Gray".<ref name="Full_Bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.smartvoter.org/2002/11/05/ca/state/vote/davis_g/bio.html |title=Full Biography for Gray Davis, November 5, 2002 Election | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180527/http://www.smartvoter.org/2002/11/05/ca/state/vote/davis_g/bio.html |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |format=Created by the candidates. League of Women Voters of California Education Fund |access-date=August 22, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Davis moved to California with his family in 1954.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ca-gov-davis/|title=Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis|publisher=CBS News|date=October 9, 1998|access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>

Davis graduated from a [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|North Hollywood]] military academy, the Harvard School for Boys (now part of [[Harvard-Westlake School]]).<ref name="auto"/> His diverse educational experiences at public, private and Catholic schools allowed him an opportunity to compare all three systems as a lawmaker.<ref name="survival"/>

Davis's academic accomplishments earned him acceptance to [[Stanford University]].<ref name="survival"/> He played on the Stanford golf team with a two [[Handicap (golf)|handicap]].<ref name="bright">{{cite web |url=http://www.gray-davis.com/Page.aspx?PageID=38 |title=Bright Days for Gray Davis | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708235238/http://www.gray-davis.com/Page.aspx?PageID=38 |archive-date=2007-07-08 |url-status=live |author1=Balzar, John |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|df=mdy-all}}</ref> After Davis entered Stanford, his father left the family, forcing Davis to join the [[Reserve Officers' Training Corps|ROTC]] to stay in school; his arrangement with ROTC included a promise to enter the Army after completing his education. In 1964, he graduated with distinction from Stanford, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in history. He then returned to New York City to attend [[Columbia Law School]], graduating with his [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] degree in 1967.<ref name="End" />

After completing law school in 1967, Davis entered active duty in the [[United States Army]], serving in the [[Vietnam War]] during its height until 1969.<ref name="Shining">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/07/davis.bio/ |title=Davis: A shining resume, a resounding defeat| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321172551/http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/07/davis.bio/ |archive-date=2007-03-21 |publisher=CNN | date=October 8, 2004 | access-date=September 8, 2007 |df=mdy-all |url-status=live}}</ref> Davis saw time on the battlefield during his time in Vietnam.<ref name="survival"/> Davis returned home as a captain with a [[Bronze Star Medal]] for meritorious service. Friends who knew him at the time said Davis—like many war veterans—came back a changed man, interested in politics and more intense, according to the ''[[Sacramento Bee]]''.<ref name="Shining"/> He returned from Vietnam more "serious and directed."<ref name="survival"/> Davis was surprised to discover that many of those serving in Vietnam were Latinos, African Americans and southern whites with very few from schools like Stanford and Columbia; Davis believed that the burden of the war should be felt equally and he resolved early on to go about changing America so that would change.<ref name="Interview">{{cite web|url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3726923827202460071&q=Gray+Davis&total=237&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0 |title=Interview with Gray Davis Part I |access-date=2010-08-14|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Davis is a life member of the [[American Legion]] and the [[Veterans of Foreign Wars]].<ref name="Bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.californiagovernors.ca.gov/h/biography/governor_37.html |title=California Governors Biography |publisher=Californiagovernors.ca.gov |date=2007-03-23 |access-date=2010-08-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624102657/http://californiagovernors.ca.gov/h/biography/governor_37.html |archive-date=June 24, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>