Edith Luckett Davis

Edith Prescott Davis (née Luckett; born July 16, 1888, in Petersburg, Virginia – died October 26, 1987, in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American actress active during the early 20th century. She was primarily known for her work in film and on Broadway from the 1900s through the 1920s and was the mother of Nancy Reagan, the First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

Early Life

Edith Luckett was the ninth and last child of Sarah Frances (née Whitlock) and Charles Edward Luckett. She was nicknamed "Lucky." Her family relocated to Washington, D.C., where her father worked for the Adams Express Company. Davis was recognized for her vivacious personality and distinctive style.

Acting Career

She initiated her acting career at the age of 13 in Baltimore. At 18, she moved to New York City to pursue her craft full-time. Her film credits include "The Other Girl" (1915), where she played Estelle Kittredge, as well as "The Little Jewess" (1914) as Rebecca, "The Coming Power" (1914) as Ruth Ellis, and "The Spirit of the Poppy" (1914) as Helene Ford.

On stage, Davis performed extensively, including on Broadway and regional stock companies. Her notable Broadway appearance was in 1928 in "Elmer the Great," where she acted alongside Walter Huston and Kay Francis. Throughout her career, she befriended and worked with prominent actors such as Walter Huston, George M. Cohan, Spencer Tracy, Zasu Pitts, Louis Calhern, David Belasco, and Alla Nazimova.

Personal Life

First Marriage and Family

In 1916, Davis married Kenneth Seymour Robbins of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. They had one daughter, Anne Frances Robbins, known publicly as Nancy. The marriage ended in separation shortly after Nancy's birth, followed by a divorce. During her acting career, Davis arranged for her daughter to live with her sister’s family in Bethesda, Maryland, while she toured with acting troupes and visited her daughter when possible.

Second Marriage

In 1928, during a sea voyage to the United Kingdom, Edith Luckett met Loyal Edward Davis, a pioneering Chicago neurosurgeon. They married on May 21, 1929. Following their marriage, she moved to Chicago with her daughter Nancy. Loyal Davis adopted Nancy, legally changing her name to Nancy Davis, and later, Nancy Reagan. Loyal Davis was the son of Pearl McElroy from his first marriage and had a half-brother, Richard Davis, who joined the family in 1939 after Pearl McElroy’s death.

Professional and Community Engagement

Loyal Davis served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago from 1932 until 1963. Edith Davis became involved in community and charity initiatives, notably organizing the gift shop and serving on the board of Passavant Hospital, and working with the Women's Division of the Chicago Charity Fund, where she served as chairwoman from 1938 to 1963.

Later Years

After Loyal Davis's retirement in 1963, the couple relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. There, she continued her volunteer work with healthcare organizations such as the United Cerebral Palsy Crusade and the American Cancer Society. In 1983, she received the Arizona Lifetime Achievement Award, which was later renamed the Edith Davis Award in her honor.

Loyal Davis died in 1982 of congestive heart failure. Edith Davis moved to a smaller residence in Phoenix following his death. She died from a stroke on October 26, 1987, at the age of 99. Her funeral in Phoenix was attended by her daughter Nancy, First Lady of the United States, her son-in-law Ronald Reagan, and others. She was interred in the Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery in Phoenix, alongside Loyal Davis.

Filmography

- The Little Jewess (1914) as Rebecca

- The Coming Power (1914) as Ruth Ellis

- The Spirit of the Poppy (1914) as Helene Ford

- The Other Girl (1915) as Estelle Kittredge