Ilus W. Davis served as the mayor of Kansas City from 1963 to 1971. He was one of the first students to attend the city's university, which would later become the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and later got his law degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia. Some of his major contributions as mayor included the building of the Kansas City International Airport and the initial construction for the Truman Sports Complex. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1968, Davis met with concerned students on the steps of city hall which, due to student frustration that school was not let out the day of the assassination, escalated into a fatal riot. Davis was known for his approachability on the labor and racial issues that incurred in the city during his office. The relaxed stance captured here communicates that memory of Davis. In this sculpture he stands with his hands in his trouser pockets, suit jacket open, and with his weight shifted to his right leg, leaving his left slightly bent. The sculpture stands atop a tall rectangular pedestal with smooth faces.