Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. (July 1, 1877 – November 26, 1970) was a United States Army general. In 1940, he became the first African-American to rise to the rank of brigadier general. He was the father of Air Force General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. According to historian Russell Weigley, his career is significant not for his personal accomplishments, because he was only allowed a limited range of responsibilities, but as an indicator of a small forward movement for African Americans in the United States Army in the World War II era. The New Deal era of Franklin D. Roosevelt was favorable toward African Americans, and in 1940 he appointed Davis as the first Black general. During World War II, Davis held troubleshooting staff assignments designed to assist the expanded role of African Americans, albeit in segregated units.