John H. Davis ’51

Jack was born June 14, 1929, in New York, the son of Maude Bouvier and John Ethelbert Davis ’21.

A 1947 graduate of Deerfield, he majored in history at Princeton, was active in the Glee Club, Orange Key, and soccer. Jack belonged to Cottage and graduated cum laude. He roomed with Bill Dwight, Don Mathey, Gerry Mayer, Ralph Peters, and Don Scott.

Jack served in the Navy for two years as a navigation officer with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean, where he was first exposed to Italy, its language, and its culture. After his service, he was granted a Fulbright to study at the Croce Institute in Naples, where he founded the American Studies Center and wrote for the next 13 years. His literary output was remarkable and included: The Bouviers — Portrait of an American Family (1969), Venice (an illustrated history, 1973), The Guggenheims — An American Epic (1975), The Kennedys — Dynasty and Disaster (1984), Mafia Kingfish (1989); Kennedy Contract (1993), Mafia Dynasty (1994), and Jacqueline Bouvier — An Intimate Memoir (1996). He and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis were first cousins.

Jack died Jan. 29, 2012, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his sister, Maude Sergeant Davis, and his cousins, Lee Ross and Neville Davis.