Born at Cascade, Iowa, on February 15, 1887, he was the son of John William and Elizabeth Orr Davis. Through early enlistment in the United States Navy (1903-1908) he acquired the persistent nickname of Sailor, by which he was known to all his many friends.
After receiving the A.B. degree from Pomona College in 1912, Davis accepted a Lackland Research Fellowship at Washington University, St. Louis, to enable him to undertake graduate work. Davis' principal research objective was the determination of the nature and distribution of enzymes in the cells of marine algae. Two of his summers were spent as an instructor at the Woods Hole Biological Laboratories; a third summer was spent as an instructor at Pomona. He was awarded the Ph.D. by Washington University in 1915. In 1916 he joined the staff of the University of Nebraska as Assistant Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology. He had scarcely unpacked his bags, however, when he departed for a two-year stint in the United States Army.
In 1919 he became an Instructor in the Division of Soil Chemistry and Bacteriology, College of Agriculture, Berkeley, and, two years later, Assistant Professor of Plant Nutrition. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1925 and to the full Professorship in 1929, first in the Division of Plant Nutrition, and after 1934 in the Department of Botany. In 1936 he took over the chairmanship of the Department of Botany.
He served as the first budgetary Dean of the College of Letters and Science from 1947 to 1955, and was largely responsible for its present structure. Upon retirement, he was recalled to active service as Vice Chancellor for the year 1955.
In 1916 he married Hulda Eugenie Scharle, a Pomona classmate, to whom he remained devoted until her death in 1961. They had two children, Alva, Jr., and Margaret Ellen.
(Bio adapted from "University of California, Calisphere")
After receiving the A.B. degree from Pomona College in 1912, Davis accepted a Lackland Research Fellowship at Washington University, St. Louis, to enable him to undertake graduate work. Davis' principal research objective was the determination of the nature and distribution of enzymes in the cells of marine algae. Two of his summers were spent as an instructor at the Woods Hole Biological Laboratories; a third summer was spent as an instructor at Pomona. He was awarded the Ph.D. by Washington University in 1915. In 1916 he joined the staff of the University of Nebraska as Assistant Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology. He had scarcely unpacked his bags, however, when he departed for a two-year stint in the United States Army.
In 1919 he became an Instructor in the Division of Soil Chemistry and Bacteriology, College of Agriculture, Berkeley, and, two years later, Assistant Professor of Plant Nutrition. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1925 and to the full Professorship in 1929, first in the Division of Plant Nutrition, and after 1934 in the Department of Botany. In 1936 he took over the chairmanship of the Department of Botany.
He served as the first budgetary Dean of the College of Letters and Science from 1947 to 1955, and was largely responsible for its present structure. Upon retirement, he was recalled to active service as Vice Chancellor for the year 1955.
In 1916 he married Hulda Eugenie Scharle, a Pomona classmate, to whom he remained devoted until her death in 1961. They had two children, Alva, Jr., and Margaret Ellen.
(Bio adapted from "University of California, Calisphere")
Born at Cascade, Iowa, on February 15, 1887, he was the son of John William and Elizabeth Orr Davis. Through early enlistment in the United States Navy (1903-1908) he acquired the persistent nickname of Sailor, by which he was known to all his many friends.
After receiving the A.B. degree from Pomona College in 1912, Davis accepted a Lackland Research Fellowship at Washington University, St. Louis, to enable him to undertake graduate work. Davis' principal research objective was the determination of the nature and distribution of enzymes in the cells of marine algae. Two of his summers were spent as an instructor at the Woods Hole Biological Laboratories; a third summer was spent as an instructor at Pomona. He was awarded the Ph.D. by Washington University in 1915. In 1916 he joined the staff of the University of Nebraska as Assistant Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology. He had scarcely unpacked his bags, however, when he departed for a two-year stint in the United States Army.
In 1919 he became an Instructor in the Division of Soil Chemistry and Bacteriology, College of Agriculture, Berkeley, and, two years later, Assistant Professor of Plant Nutrition. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1925 and to the full Professorship in 1929, first in the Division of Plant Nutrition, and after 1934 in the Department of Botany. In 1936 he took over the chairmanship of the Department of Botany.
He served as the first budgetary Dean of the College of Letters and Science from 1947 to 1955, and was largely responsible for its present structure. Upon retirement, he was recalled to active service as Vice Chancellor for the year 1955.
In 1916 he married Hulda Eugenie Scharle, a Pomona classmate, to whom he remained devoted until her death in 1961. They had two children, Alva, Jr., and Margaret Ellen.
(Bio adapted from "University of California, Calisphere")
After receiving the A.B. degree from Pomona College in 1912, Davis accepted a Lackland Research Fellowship at Washington University, St. Louis, to enable him to undertake graduate work. Davis' principal research objective was the determination of the nature and distribution of enzymes in the cells of marine algae. Two of his summers were spent as an instructor at the Woods Hole Biological Laboratories; a third summer was spent as an instructor at Pomona. He was awarded the Ph.D. by Washington University in 1915. In 1916 he joined the staff of the University of Nebraska as Assistant Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology. He had scarcely unpacked his bags, however, when he departed for a two-year stint in the United States Army.
In 1919 he became an Instructor in the Division of Soil Chemistry and Bacteriology, College of Agriculture, Berkeley, and, two years later, Assistant Professor of Plant Nutrition. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1925 and to the full Professorship in 1929, first in the Division of Plant Nutrition, and after 1934 in the Department of Botany. In 1936 he took over the chairmanship of the Department of Botany.
He served as the first budgetary Dean of the College of Letters and Science from 1947 to 1955, and was largely responsible for its present structure. Upon retirement, he was recalled to active service as Vice Chancellor for the year 1955.
In 1916 he married Hulda Eugenie Scharle, a Pomona classmate, to whom he remained devoted until her death in 1961. They had two children, Alva, Jr., and Margaret Ellen.
(Bio adapted from "University of California, Calisphere")
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