George Davidson

George Davidson (May 9, 1825 – December 1, 1911) was a geodesist, astronomer, geographer, surveyor and engineer in the United States.

Biography

Born on May 9, 1825, in England, he went to the U.S. in 1832 with his parents, who settled in Pennsylvania. He graduated at the Central High School in Philadelphia in 1845, standing first in his class. While a student, he had shown interest in scientific work, and had assisted Alexander D. Bache in his observations of the magnetic elements at Girard College. In 1853, he named a number of mountains in the Olympic Mountains: he named Mount Ellinor for Ellinor Fauntleroy, who later became his wife, Mount Constance for Ellinor's older sister and The Brothers for her two brothers.

From 1861 until 1867, he was again on the Atlantic seaboard, principally engaged in engineering work on coast and river defences. At one time, he was in command of the Coast Survey steamer Vixen, and later performed astronomical work along the eastern coast. In 1867, he was appointed to make a special examination and report upon the geography and resources of Alaska, pending its purchase; his published report and conferences with congressional committees influenced the passage of the bill. He was placed in charge, during 1867, of the work of the Coast Survey on the Pacific, planned work for the land parties from 1868 until 1875, and inspected all the fields of work. He traveled extensively in Egypt, China, India and Europe, for purposes of scientific study.

From 1876 to 1886, he had charge of the main triangulation and astronomical work on the west coast; the records of the computing division showed that the results of his observations stood higher than any ever executed in America, Europe, or India, and they were characterized as "unique in the history of geodesy." He was succeeded by Ruliff S. Holway. In 1906 he was one of the Founders of Seismological Society of America and its first elected President (1906–1909). Davidson was one of 182 charter members of the Sierra Club in 1892 and served as a member of its board of directors from 1894 to 1910.

He died in San Francisco on December 1, 1911, and was buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma.

Works Coast Pilot of California, Oregon and Washington (1857–1887) Voyages of Discovery and Exploration on the Northwest Coast of America, 1539-1603 (1887) Coast Pilot of Alaska (Part I, 1868) The Alaska Boundary (1903) The Glaciers of Alaska (1904) The Discovery of San Francisco Bay (1907) Francis Drake on the Northwest Coast of America (1908) Origin and Meaning of the Name California (1910) He contributed numerous papers to the California Academy of Sciences, and published a quantity of special reports contained in government publications.

Honors He was awarded the Daly Medal by the American Geographical Society in 1908.

Namesakes The Davidson Seamount off the coast of California, Davidson Current, Mount Davidson and Davidson Street in San Francisco are named for George Davidson. The Davidson Glacier south of Haines, Alaska was also named for him.

The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey named two ships for him, the launch USC&GS Davidson, in service from 1933 to 1935, and the coastal hydrographic survey ship USC&GS Davidson (CSS 31), which entered service in the Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1967 and then served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fleet as NOAAS Davidson (S 331) from 1970 to 1989.

In 1946, Davidson's daughter Ellinor established the George Davidson Medal, along with the American Geographical Society, to honor her father.

Family Davidson's brother Thomas Davidson was a naval architect with the United States Navy.