David Davis Walker

David Davis "D. D." Walker (January 19, 1840 – October 4, 1918) was an American businessman. He started his career as a dry goods wholesaler in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the co-founder of Ely & Walker, which remains a clothing brand to this day. Early life David Davis Walker was born on January 19, 1840, on a farm near Bloomington, Illinois, to George E. Walker (1797–1864) and Harriet Mercer (1802–1869). His paternal grandfather, Thomas Walker, was an English slave trader. Walker was a first cousin of Senator and Supreme Court Justice David Davis. At age fourteen, he was sent to the Beloit Preparatory Academy, part of Beloit College in Wisconsin. Business career In 1857, Walker went to St. Louis for business training with the merchandiser Crow, McCreery & Co., then the largest wholesale dry goods house in the city. He worked his way up from office boy, and became a partner after just eight years with the firm. He became ill as a result of his workaholic habits, quitting in 1878, and spent the next two years recovering.