Watson Davis

Davis (center) with two young scientists in 1924

Watson Davis (1896–1967) was the founder of the American Documentation Institute (ADI), the forerunner of the Association for Information Science and Technology, and a pioneer in the field of Library and Information Science.

He was editor of Science News Letter, the publication of Science Service, an organization established by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Science, and the National Research Council in 1920.[1] His longstanding interest in attracting young people to science[2] was noted by, among others, President Lyndon B. Johnson; President Johnson said in 1966 that Watson had "awakened the minds and directed the energies of millions of young Americans toward the achievements in research and technology which are increasingly vital to human progress."[3] He founded, in his capacity as Director of Science Service, the Science Clubs of America, reaching at one point roughly a million school-age children across the United States; he also was one of the originators of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search and the International Science Fair.[3]

Nobel Laureate Glenn T. Seaborg, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, who eulogized Watson in 1967,[2] noted that "Watson Davis has done more for the popularization of science and the understanding of science by the general public than any other one individual."[3]

In August 1937, Watson chaired the American delegation to the World Congress of Universal Documentation, held in Paris, France.[4] At that event, Watson touted microfilm as a powerful means of information interchange: "[Microfilm] will supplement other forms of publication and make accessible material of all sorts that can not now be printed because of economic factors. It will make available out-of-print and rare books. It is adapted to the publication of photographs and other illustrations.... In this way the document is perpetually 'in print' but no extensive, space-consuming stocks need be stored, only the document itself and the microfilm negative from which positives are made for distribution.”[4] He also proposed at this conference that newspapers be archived on microfilm, as opposed to being stored as physical copies.[4]

Education

Career

Life

Watson Davis was married to Helen Miles Davis. During their marriage, she edited the journal Chemistry of the American Chemical Society.[3] Watson Davis died in Washington, DC on June 27, 1967.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Documentation, Information Science, and Library Science in the U.S.A.". Information Processing & Management 32 (1): 63–76. doi:10.1016/0306-4573(95)00050-Q. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Watson Davis". Chemical & Engineering News 45 (29): 5. doi:10.1021/cen-v045n029.p005. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Deaths". Chemical & Engineering News 45 (29): 74–75. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Unpublished Manuscript to Be Accessible to Scholars". The Science News-Letter 32 (854): 124. 21 August 1937. JSTOR 3913966.
  5. 1 2 "The History of the National Agricultural Library". Agricultural History 62 (2): 189–207. Spring 1988. JSTOR 3743293.
  6. ↑ "Watson Davis". Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "A CHRONOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN DOCUMENTATION INSTITUTE (ADI)/AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE (ASIS)/AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ASIST)". Retrieved 11 December 2012.
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