Joseph I. Davies papers

Collection

Identifier: MS 0286

Staff Only

Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

The Davies papers include papers, lecture notes, glass slides, and transparencies produced by Joseph I. Davies, who came to Rice Institute (later Rice University) in 1914 with Julian Huxley as his lab assistant, later received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Rice, and from 1929 to 1966 served as a member of the Rice faculty. The glass slides and transparencies taken by Davies include scenes of the early development of the Rice campus as well as later campus scenes and individuals.

Dates

Creation: 1924 - 1966

Creator

Davies, Joseph Ilott (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This material is open for research.

Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Davies papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center.

Biographical Sketch

Joseph Ilott Davies came to the Rice Institute (later Rice University) with Julian Huxley in 1914 to serve as Huxley's lab assistant. In 1920, while working full time, he enrolled as a student at Rice, receiving his B.A. degree in 1928, his Master's degree in 1929 (when he also became a member of the Rice faculty), and his Ph.D. in 1937. He meanwhile returned to England, where he married Amy Agnes Hammerton; they came back to settle in Houston and later had two children. In the early 1940s Davies took over both the classroom and lab responsibilities for the introductory course of Biology 100, where he became renowned for his captivating teaching style; he was also noted for his knowledge of local flora and fauna and his lively speaking and writing style. He also photographed many of the university's first buildings while they were under construction, as well as various other campus scenes and individuals over the years. He died suddenly in May 1966, shortly before he was to have retired. Excerpted from: Sara Meredith, "Unforgettable Joseph Davies," Rice University Review, vol. 1, no. 2; and "Dr. Joseph I. Davies," The Flyleaf, vol. XVI, no. 4, July 1966.

Extent

1 Linear Feet ( (2 boxes))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract:

Acquisition Information

The Joseph I. Davies papers were transferred by the Biology Department of Rice University in 1974 and 1976, and from Mrs. D. M. Anderson (Davies’ daughter) in 1982.