Catherine Davis (1924–2002) was an American poet. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota,^[1] she studied poetry with J. V. Cunningham at the University of Chicago, and, at Stanford University, with Yvor Winters, graduating in 1951.^[2] Davis received her bachelor's degree from George Washington University in 1961, at the age of 37, and subsequently joined the University of Iowa's prestigious creative writing program.^[1] The poet Donald Justice, whom she met while at Iowa, was a lifelong champion of her work.^[1] UCLA poet Edgar Bowers compared her work favorably to that of Dorothy Parker.^[1] Davis held the Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing at Stanford.^[3] She taught at several universities.

Davis died in 2002 of complications related to Alzheimer's disease. She died intestate, leaving the copyrights to her works in limbo.^[1]

Davis published four works:^[3]

• The Leaves: Lyrics and Epigrams (Bembo Press, 1960)
• Second Beginnings & Other Poems (The King’s Quair Press, 1961)
• Under This Lintel (King’s Quair Press, 1962)
• Looking In and Looking Out (R. L. Barth,1999).