Davies, John Paton Jr.

US (Chinese-born) diplomat and Sinologist

1908 - Born in Sichuan, China, on the 6th of April the son of Baptist missionaries John Paton and Helen Elizabeth (MacNeil) Davies Sr..

Studied for 2 years at Experimental College at the University of Wisconsin, 1 year at Yenching University.

1931 - Graduated from Columbia University.

1933 - He joined the Foreign Service upon graduation, and was posted to China.

1942-1944 - During World War II, he was assigned as political attaché to General Joseph Stilwell.

               - Married Patricia Grady on 24th of August before returning to India.

1944 - He was instrumental in the creation of the U.S. Army Observation Group to Yan'an, China.

1945 - Davies departed China for good on 9th of January.

1948 - He led all the passengers to safety and was awarded the Medal of Freedom.

1949 - He advocated US relations with Communist China to forestall a Soviet takeover.

1950 - Advocated a preventive nuclear showdown with the Soviet Union.

1954 - Under political pressure from McCarthy and Senator Patrick McCarran, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles asked Davies to resign.

       - He refused, and on 5th of November, Dulles fired him.

1964 - The Davies family returned to the United States.

1969 - He was exonerated and regained his government clearance.

1972 - His family moved to Málaga, Spain.

1999 - Davies died on 23rd of December in Asheville, North Carolina, at the age of 91.