Davies played an important role in ensuring that the western states and Wisconsin gave Woodrow Wilson their vote at the 1912 Democratic National Convention . Wilson made Davies head of his entire western campaign . As a reward for being critical in winning Wilson the election , Wilson named Davies head of the Bureau of Corporations . Davies was instrumental in the formation of the Bureau 's successor organization , the Federal Trade Commission , and served as its first chairman from 1915 to 1916 . At the President 's request when Senator Paul O. Husting of Wisconsin suddenly died in 1917 , Davies retired from the FTC in order to run for the open seat in a special election . He lost to Republican Irvine Lenroot in a pivotal election which denied Democrats control of the U.S. Senate . President Wilson appointed Davies to serve as an economic advisor to the United States during the Paris Peace Conference following World War I
1912 Democratic National Convention
1912 Democratic National Convention
Joseph E. Davies