Ralph Tipton Davis (c. 1880May 23, 1934) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

and was a consensus All-American in 1901. He also played for Princeton's baseball and track teams. In 1902, he won the intercollegiate championship in the

hammer throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consis ...

and set a collegiate record with a throw of 164 feet, 10 inches.

Early years

Davis was born in approximately 1880. Davis grew up in

Blossburg, Pennsylvania Blossburg is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2020 census. History In 1792, a party of immigrants who were building the Williamson Road from Williamsport, in Lycoming County, to Painted Post ...

and attended preparatory school at

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

. He was the captain of the football team at Andover.

Princeton

Davis attended

and played for the

Princeton Tigers football The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University and competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I Football Championship, Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member ...

team from 1900 to 1902. While attending Princeton, Davis was five feet, seven inches tall and weighed 168 pounds. He played at the tackle position as a freshman and became an

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

as a sophomore. Davis was selected as a consensus All-American at the end position in 1901. He was also the captain of Princeton's 1902 football team. However, in the summer of 1902, it was announced that Davis may be academically ineligible, having failed to pass his examinations and would be required to repeat his sophomore year at Princeton. Davis was able to preserve his eligibility and served as the captain of Princeton's 1902 football team. In December 1902, a banquet honoring Davis was held at the Tiger Inn. Princeton's president

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

(later President of the United States) made the principal address, expressing admiration for Davis's conduct on the field as well as his "attitude both toward the team and the Faculty." Davis had earlier faced controversy over his eligibility to play for Princeton's baseball team when it was revealed that he had played for a professional team in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

. His eligibility was preserved as Davis had not been paid for his participation on the Atlantic City club. Davis did play for Princeton's baseball team. He also was a member of Princeton's track team. In May 1902, he broke the intercollegiate record and won the intercollegiate

championship in 1902 with a throw of 164 feet, 10 inches. He also finished in third place in the shot put at the 1902 intercollegiate championship. Upon graduation in 1904, Davis was voted the "best all-around athlete" by his classmates.

Later years

Davis later worked and lived in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

. In 1919, he was employed as district manager of the United States Tire Company. Davis died in 1934 at his home in Indianapolis. In 1939, Davis's former classmates created a scholarship fund in his name to be awarded to allow a student from

Phillips Academy ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

to attend Princeton.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Ralph 1880s births 1934 deaths All-American college football players American football ends Princeton Tigers football players Players of American football from Pennsylvania Princeton Tigers baseball players Players of American football from Indianapolis People from Tioga County, Pennsylvania Baseball players from Indianapolis