Born in Post, Texas, on November 12, 1927, Alvin Davis was destined to be a cowboy. His family rented farmland from John B. Slaughter, and Davis grew up next to the U Lazy S Ranch. As a child, he watched the cowboys working across the fence and eventually had the opportunity to help out.
At seven years old, Davis attended his first rodeo at the Texas Cowboy Reunion in Stamford, where he saw Will Rogers. This experience ignited his lifelong commitment to preserving western heritage and cowboy culture. He went on to create and produce the “World’s Original All-Junior Rodeo” in Post in 1948. By 20, in 1952, he founded the American Junior Rodeo Association, serving as its administrator until 1958.
Davis attended Texas Tech University, where he furthered his involvement in rodeo, becoming the first secretary-manager of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association from 1955 to 1958. Over the next three decades, he also worked as a rodeo announcer, covering two College National Finals, a Junior National Finals, and numerous other events. He contributed to various rodeo committees, including those in Brownfield and Levelland, Texas. In 1958, Davis was awarded a life membership in the NIRA, and in 1984, he was the first inductee into the Texas Tech Rodeo Hall of Fame.
In 1955, Davis married Barbara Ann Hext, and together they raised three children: Glen Robert, Debra Ann, and Jay Todd. The couple celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary on July 28, 2008.
Davis’s career spanned several areas, earning him numerous awards. He started a retail business in 1952 that included western wear, tack, rodeo equipment, and livestock show awards. This venture grew into three western stores, and he played a foundational role in establishing a national organization for western wear and tack retailers, becoming its first chairman.
Later, Davis served as executive vice president and general manager of the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, combining his passions for western art, ranching, and cowboy heritage. This role led to his recognition as a top western museum administrator.
Davis also excelled in poetry, music, art, and writing. His talents contributed to the creation of the National Cowboy Symposium and Celebration in Lubbock, leading to the formation of the American Cowboy Culture Association. The event is now one of the premier gatherings of its kind globally.
Davis’s legacy continues through the organizations he helped establish, including the American Chuck Wagon Association and the National Western Artists Association. In 2001, the museum in Post honored him by opening the Alvin G. Davis Room, filled with his memorabilia and awards, cementing his status as Garza County’s Favorite Son.
