Robert E. Davis
1933-2003

On March 16, 2003, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum lost a long time friend and founder, Robert E. Davis of Waco.

Bob was born in Waco April 26, 1933 and attended Waco public schools and Baylor University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and headed his family business, Davis Brothers Publishing Company, a fixture in Waco for 75 years and the leading publisher of church choral music.

His service to many organizations was long and distinguished, but he left his most important mark on the development of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

Bob's service spanned 34 years beginning his association as a member of the original founding committee. A decade later he was appointed a member of the Texas Ranger Commemorative Commission by the Legislature and helped raise funds to build the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. Never satisfied with "good-enough," he co-chaired the committee that founded the Texas Ranger Research Center and served as the president of its support group. He served several terms on the museum Advisory Board advocating the growth and development of the museum.

The Texas Ranger Research Center (library and archives) was Bob's main interest at the museum. He saw it grow from a small room with a few books to an archives with a professional staff — the leading historical and genealogical resource on the Texas Rangers.

Aside from the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, Bob served on the Texas LIbrary and Historical Commission, a Vietnam veterans memorial commission, the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Confederate Research Center at Hill College, the Waco-McLennan County Library Commission and the Heritage Society of Waco.

We miss Bob, his warmth of personality, his interests in everything historical from Texana to Egyptology and his constant encouragement. — Byron A. Johnson, Director