Harvey N. Davis
Harvey Nathaniel Davis | |
---|---|
3rd President of Stevens Institute of Technology | |
In office 1928–1951 | |
Preceded by | Alexander Crombie Humphreys |
Succeeded by | Jess Harrison Davis |
57th President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers | |
In office 1939–1938 | |
Preceded by | James Hervey Herron |
Succeeded by | Alexander Graham Christie |
Personal details | |
Born | Providence, Rhode Island | June 6, 1881
Died | December 3, 1952 New York, New York | (aged 71)
Spouse |
Alice Marion Rhode (m. 1911) |
Children | Nathaniel Davis |
Education | Harvard University, M.A. (1903), Ph.D. (1906) |
Harvey Nathaniel Davis (June 6, 1881 – December 3, 1952) was an American engineer, teacher, the 3rd President of Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, and the 57th president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in the year 1938-39. Davis was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1911 and the American Philosophical Society in 1935.[1][2]
Biography
Education and early career
Davis was born on June 6, 1881, in Providence, Rhode Island, to Nathaniel French Davis and Lydia Martin Bellows. He obtained his M.A. in 1903, and his Ph.D. in physics in 1906, both from Harvard University[citation needed]. He taught mathematics at Brown University and later returned to Harvard as a Professor of Physics and Mechanical Engineering[citation needed].
In 1928 the family moved to Hoboken as Davis assumed his appointment to the position of President of Stevens Institute of Technology. Davis remained well rounded, participating in activities and policy making outside of the Institute. Shortly after assuming his residency he joined the
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Davis would influence the academic and industrial side of engineering through the
In 1930 he orchestrated a fiftieth anniversary celebration of the society in Stevens' auditorium: the exact location in which the ASME had been founded. The hallmark of the festivities was a play entitled Control: A Pageant of Engineering Progress, under the direction of Harold Burris-Meyer and G.P. Baker.[4]
Family and death
Davis married Alice Marion Rhode on June 28, 1911.[5] Their son, Nathaniel Davis was born in 1925 and would go on to become a United States diplomat and professor at Harvey-Mudd College.
Davis died on December 3, 1952, at
Work
Stevens Institute of Technology
Upon taking office, Davis affirmed his support in general engineering courses and almost immediately expanded the courses in
Following the expansion in enrollment Davis was responsible for expanding the opportunities for students to dorm on campus. His presidency saw an increase from 30 campus residence to more than 300.[9] A residence hall would be constructed on the east most part of Stevens campus in 1962 in clear view of New York City.
Graduate school
Harvey Davis oversaw the creation of graduate programs at Stevens. Done in part to retain the excellent reputation of the institute for teaching, but to embellish with it a reputation and competitiveness in the area of research.[10] The implementation of such programs would contribute to part of Stevens' survival during the Great Depression and give it an additional edge as it prevailed during World War II. One notable program of the time began in 1938; the Department of Metallurgy was created at Stevens, with Alfred Bornemann, Walter Kidde's nephew, as its head and first Professor of graduate classes in the subject.
The Great Depression
Davis ceded power to powerful alumni, rather than the trustees in the face of the Great Depression, but still created new programs and hired new faculty under his own auspices to keep the Institute progressive. Utilizing many of the connections he made as President of the ASME, Davis brought industry giants on board to develop programs and departments; notable contributors included Walter Kidde, Alfred Bornemann, Robert C. Stanley ("The Nickel King"), and William H. Peirce ("The Copper King").[11]
By the end of the Great Depression in 1942, over two-thirds of alumni were participating in financial giving and the Annual Fund reached a record level of $185,000; alumni giving, along with that of trustees, ensured the survival of Stevens even in the face of eleven deficit budgets in a row.[12]
World War II & War Production
Davis was nationally known at this time for his speeches and radio talks about industrial preparedness, often citing that "Production is more important to defense than combat training."
In May 1942 Stevens switched from an eighteen-week semester schedule to a sixteen-week trimester schedule. Students were required to spend two terms on campus and one term in war industry if not enrolled in the naval officer training program. Following this move, in the summer of 1942 the War Production Board recognized the need of coordination of research on materials required in producing the weapons of war. They created the Office of Production Research and Development drafting Harvey Davis to take up the task as director.[15] This along with Professor Kenneth Davidson's clout as a member of the National Defense Research Committee and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor to NASA, the two brought tremendous dollars to Stevens. The Davidson towing tank was heavily subsidized by the Navy and was bigger than any Navy or Allied test tank in existence.
Stevens emerged from the wars years with increased reputation as an engineering college. This resulted in an influx of veterans enrolling upon returning from the war; undergraduate enrollment more than doubled, from 600 to 1400.
References
- ^ "Harvey Nathaniel Davis". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. February 9, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ "Dr. Harvey N. Davis Named By Engineers". The New York Times. December 5, 1937.
- ^ "G.P.Baker's Life & A Book Review". RomanHistoryBooks.com. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- Marilyn Ogilvie & Joy Harvey, The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science New York: Routledge, 2000, p. 329
- The Herald-News. Passaic, New Jersey. AP. December 5, 1952. p. 32. Retrieved May 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Faculty to Utilize 370-Acre Tract at Johnsonburg". The New York Times. May 10, 1931.
- ^ Geoffrey Clark, History of Stevens Institute of Technology New Jersey: Jensen/Daniels, 2000, p. 235
- ^ "Gifts to Stevens Aid Building Plans". The New York Times. February 19, 1937.
- ^ Harvey N. Davis; Twenty Year of Achievement New Jersey: Stevens Institute of Technology, 1948, pp. 2–3
- ^ "Starting $700,000 Project at College". The New York Times. June 27, 1947.
- ^ Harvey Davis, An Open Letter to Stevens Alumni Hoboken: Stevens Institute of Technology, March 1942, p. 6
- ^ Harvey Davis, The War Program at Stevens Institute Hoboken: Stevens Institute of Technology, May 1942, p. 3
- ^ Geoffrey Clark, History of Stevens Institute of Technology New Jersey: Jensen/Daniels, 2000, p. 245
- ^ Dr. Davis and War Production New Jersey: Stevens Institute of Technology, 1942, p. 7
External links
- Harvey Nathaniel Davis at Graces Guide to British Industrial History