Raymond Cazallis Davis (June 23, 1836 – June 10, 1919) was the chief librarian at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

for 28 years. He was the first to offer a course at a college in

bibliography Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...

Early life

Davis was born in

Cushing, Maine Cushing is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,502 at the 2020 census. A favorite of artists for its unspoiled natural setting, Cushing includes the villages of North Cushing, Cushing, South Cushing, and Pleasant ...

, on June 23, 1836. His parents were George Davis and Catherine (Young) Davis. His father is of English and Welsh ancestry and his mother of Scotch and Irish. Davis's father was a sea captain. In 1849 when Davis was 13 years old his mother died. His father then took him on a two-year world tour.

Career

After returning from his world adventures Davis prepared for college in 1852 at

New Hampton, New Hampshire New Hampton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,377 at the 2020 census. A winter sports resort area, New Hampton is home to George Duncan State Forest and to the New Hampton School, a private prepara ...

. In 1855 he became a student at the University of Michigan in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

. After two years at the university he became seriously ill. Because of his illness he was not able to continue his studies or take employment. He regained his health and got a job around 1860 in

short sea shipping The modern terms short-sea shipping (sometimes unhyphenated), marine highway, and motorways of the sea, and the more historical terms coastal trade, coastal shipping, coasting trade, and coastwise trade, all encompass the movement of cargo and pas ...

in Maine. He stayed there for a few years. In 1868 Davis returned to the University of Michigan and got a part-time position as an assistant librarian through 1872. At that time then he returned to Maine and was employed in local shipping. In 1877 he was offered the chief librarian position at the University of Michigan, which he accepted. Davis started offering in 1878 the first course at a college in bibliography, which he taught once a week during November and December. Davis married Ellen Regal, the daughter of pastor Eli Regal, on July 6, 1880. He received an honorary degree of Master of Arts in 1881 from the University of Michigan. He was a key motivating force in the construction of the university's first library building, which opened in 1883. Through his efforts the library grew in size and became an instrumental part of the university.

Later life and death

Davis again became seriously ill and was forced into semi-retirement in 1905 after 28 years as a librarian at the University of Michigan. However, he did continue to lecture on bibliography part-time into 1914, until his illness forced him to quit altogether. He died on June 10, 1919, at Ann Arbor.

Works

* ''Reminiscences of a Voyage around the World'' (1869), based on his boyhood experiences.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Raymond Cazallia 1836 births 1919 deaths People from Knox County, Maine University of Michigan alumni University of Michigan staff American librarians Writers from Maine Writers from Michigan American people of British descent