Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/161

 DAVIDSON

DAVIDSON

1833. He was appointed coadjutor bishop of Kentucky, July 4, 1817, and was consecrated at Bardstown, Aug. 15, 1819, titular bishop of Mauricastro, by Bishop Flaget. When Bishop Flaget resigned in 1830 Bishop David was ap- pointed his successor, but at once set to work to

^^jkMj^

have Dr. Flaget restored to the bishopric and surrendered the administration of the diocese into his hands. He had been regvdarh- appointed successor in November, 1832, and sent his resig- nation to Rome in favor of Bishop Flaget. which was accepted in April, 1833, and Dr. Chabrat, who had been appointed coadjutor to Bishop David, was reappointed as coadjutor to Bishop Flaget. In 1823 the seminary at Bardstown was made a university, chartered by the legislature of Kentucky through the efforts of Father David, who was made its first president. He wrote able papers in defence of the usages of the Roman Catholic church and published translations and a Catholic hymn book. He died at the Nazareth convent, Bardstown, Ky., July 12, 1841.

DAVIDSON, Alexander, inventor, was born in Pruntytown, Va., Sept. 33, 1826; son of Alexander and Dorothy (Burdett) Davidson; grandson of John and Sarah (Larue; Davidson, and of James and Mary Burdett, and a descend- ant of Alexander Davidson, who -came to America from Scotland early in 1700. He studied at Oberlin, Ohio, paying his way by mechanical work, and later taught school for several years, showing his inventive genius by making appli- ances for illustrating the studies pursued. In 1864 he formed an alliance with W. D. Rutledge of Springfield, 111., in the management of a com- mercial school. Their offices were fitted up with desks representing cities and these were connected by a miniature electric railway, with miniature freight for transportation. This method of teaching became at once popular and increased the patronage of the school. He disposed of his interest in this school in 1869 and entered the United States revenue service, at the same time continuing his inventions which included a paddle-wheel patented in 1881. About 1875 he saw the first Remington typewriter and spent much time in improving that instrument. His chief work in this connection was determining a scale of value of the letters of the alphabet and thus establishing the universal keyboard. He made important additions and improvements to

the Densmore and Yost machines and in 1887 sold his patents to tlie Yost writing-machine company. He is the author of a History of Illinois (1873). an edition of which was published for use in schools. He died at Fort Wayne, Ind., Oct. 12, 1893.

DAVIDSON, Alexander Caldwell, represen- tative, was born in Mecklenburg county, N.C., Dec. 26, 1826. He was graduated from the University of Alabama, in 1848 ; studied law and became a planter at Uniontown, Ala. He was a colonel in the Confederate army, 1861-64, and a member of the Alabama house of rep- resentatives, 1880-81; of the state senate, 1882- 86 ; and was a Democratic representative in the 49th and 50th congresses, 1885-89.

DAVIDSON, Augustus Cleveland, educator, was born in Franklin county. Mo. , Dec. 3, 1846 ; son of Samuel Moman and America (Billups) Davidson ; grandson of James and Mary (John- son) Davidson and of Thomas and Ann (Cleve- land) Billups; and of Scotch and English ancestry. He was prepared for college at Georgetown, Ky., and was graduated from_ Georgetown college in 1871. He was ordained as pastor of the Baptist church, Eminence, Ky.. July 30, 1871 ; and was afterward pastor at Bloomington, Ind., 1876 to 1879; Aurora, Ind., 1879 to 1884; Marion, Ala., 1884 to 1887, and Cov- ington, Ky., 1887 to 1893. He was elected presi- dent of Georgetown college, Ky., in 1893 and held the office until 1898, when he resigned and became pastor of the South Side Baptist church, Birmingham, Ala. He was married, Nov. 17, 1874, to Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Keene of Georgetown, Ky. He was elected a member of the Filsonclub, Louisville, Ky.. in 1895. Howard university, Ala., conferred upon him the honor- ary degree of D.D. in 1885.

DAVIDSON, Charles, educator, was born in Streetsboro. Ohio, July 29, 1852; son of David Botsford and Jennette P. (Parker) Davidson; gi*andson of Treat and Mehitable (Botsford) Davidson, and great-grandson of David and Anna (Sheel) Davidson. He was graduated from Iowa college, A.B., 1875, A.M., 1878; was a student in the graduate department of Yale university, 1876-77, and was a tutor in the academy of Iowa college, 1877-78. In the latter year he became language instructor in Mitchell seminary, Iowa, resigning in 1879 to become principal of the Minneapolis academy, where he remained five years. He was superintendent of public schools. Dalles City, Oregon, 1884-86; master in English, Belmont school, Belmont, Cal., 1887-93; student in English, Yale university, 1891-92; associate professor of English, University of Indiana, 1893- 94; associate professor of English and rhetoric, Adelbert college of Western Reserve university. 1894-96, and English inspector for the regents of