Davis (Horace) Papers, 1859-1916

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Summary

Title:
Horace Davis papers
Dates:
1859-1916
Creators:
Davis, Horace and Reid, Whitelaw
Extent:
4.5 Linear Feet
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Horace Davis papers (SC0028). Stanford University Archives, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

Papers include family correspondence, 1859-67 (with a few pertaining to the Civil War United States Sanitary Commission); correspondence and documents relating to the administration of Stanford University, 1885-1912; copies of talks and articles by Davis, 1878-1912; ledgers and diaries containing mostly notes, clippings, and mementos, 1887-1908; and a few miscellaneous items such as diplomas and memorial resolutions after his death. The bulk of the papers concern Stanford University, its Board of Trustees, and the problems it faced; subjects include salaries, tuition and fees, faculty retirements, student discipline, the 1906 earthquake, and the organization of the Board. There are also files on the dismissal of Julius Goebel from the faculty. Correspondents include Thomas R. Bard, George Crothers, Henry T. Gage, David Starr Jordan, Samuel F. Leib, George C. Perkins, James D. Phelan, Whitelaw Reid, Eugene E. Schmitz, Silas W. Terry, Booker T. Washington, Benjamin Ide Wheeler and John D. Works.

Biographical / historical:

Horace Davis, born in Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard in 1849. He moved to California in 1853 and pursued several business ventures before embarking in the wheat and flour trade in 1860. He was president of the Sperry Flour Company for 40 years. Davis was active in the Republican Party, serving two terms in Congress as a representative of California, and in 1884 was a presidential elector. Jane and Leland Stanford appointed him to the original Board of Trustees for Stanford University in 1885; he served on the Board until his death in 1916. In 1887 he was appointed president of the University of California, a position he held for three years. He was a long-time member of the Chit-Chat Club of San Francisco and also active in the Commonwealth Club.

Custodial history:

Gift of Mrs. George Proctor, 1966.

Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged three business days in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
University Archives staff
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-02-25 15:54:14 -0800 .

Access and use

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Horace Davis papers (SC0028). Stanford University Archives, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Stanford University Archives, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6064, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Website