MEMOIRS OF DECEASED FELLOWS 269 



After leaving college he studied law for a short time in the office 

 of an uncle in New York City. Early in 1864 he took employment 

 in the Second National Bank of Detroit, Mich., and became Assist- 

 ant Cashier in 1873. On account of poor health he retired from 

 business in 1882 and returned to his former home in Saratoga 

 Springs. In 1887 he came to Rochester and remained here until 

 his marriage, in 1911, to Miss Emma O. Decker of Evansville, 

 Ind. The next two years were spent in Europe and then he settled 

 in Detroit, Mich. He died at Santa Barbara, Cal., on April 30, 

 1915, at the age of 74. 



Mr. Davison joined the Rochester Academy of Science in 1889, 

 and was elected a Fellow in 1890. He was a member of the Coun- 

 cil of the Society during the years 1890-1892 and 1899-1904, a 

 service of nine years. He was also First Vice-President for the 

 years 1893-1898, but declined more responsible official position. 



It is not known if Mr. Davison had more than a casual or gen- 

 eral interest in mineralogy and chemistry before coming to Roch- 

 ester, but during the 24 years of his residence in the City or suburbs 

 his chief occupation was chemical study and analysis in the Uni- 

 versity Laboratory, a matter of intellectual pleasure and scientific 

 curiosity. He declined to accept pay for analyses made for others, 

 and would not undertake the examination of material in which he 

 was not personally interested. His name was carried in the Cata- 

 logue of the University of Rochester during all the years from 

 1888 to 1911 as a special or graduate student, not a candidate for 

 degree. This standing in the student body of the College assured 

 him the required laboratory facilities, and all his mornings and many 

 afternoons were spent in the laboratory. His analytic work was 

 specially on meteorites, in which study he became an expert and 

 a recognized authority. The attached list of 12 titles of papers is 

 the permanent record of his scientific work. 



Of rather slender figure, gray hair and beard, with refined and 

 quiet though somewhat reserved manners, gentle in speech and im- 

 maculate in dress even when at work, standing day after day at 

 his table Mr. Davison was for over 20 years a familiar figure to 

 the chemistry students and an interesting and admirable personal- 

 ity. Here was a man of advanced age, with financial means and 

 independence, able in every way to follow his pleasure, and yet 



