Davis Center for Historical Studies, The

Davis Center for Historical Studies, The, established in 1968, is named for Shelby Cullom Davis '30, who in 1964 gave the University more than $5 million for support of the Department of History. Davis, who graduated from the department with highest honors and has served as chairman of its advisory council since 1941, made this gift to assure the continuance of excellence in scholarship and the teaching of history at Princeton University.

The income from the Davis Fund is used in a variety of ways. Two chairs have been established: the George Henry Davis '86 Professorship of American History, which honors the donor's father, and the Shelby Cullom Davis '30 Professorship of European History. (Davis won a doctoral degree at the University of Geneva, and he later served as United States Ambassador to Switzerland.) In addition, funds are provided for the purchase of books for the University Library, for exploratory ventures in undergraduate teaching, for graduate student fellowships, for special costs of research by members of the department, and for the Davis Center, the most innovative part of the expanded program.

The Center's chief function is to conduct the Davis seminar in which members of the faculty, visitors from other institutions, graduate students, and selected undergraduates participate. For periods of time from one to four years, the members of the seminar direct their attention to a single theme or aspect of history in which they have a common interest. Topics represent relatively new approaches to the study of history, involving the investigation of neglected subjects or the application of new methods to older subjects. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary approaches and on topics that do not restrict participation to specialists in a single geographical area or period of time. Each year a number of scholars from other institutions are brought to Princeton as Visiting Davis Fellows, with no obligations other than to take part in the seminar and to pursue researches related to its current theme. The end product is intended to be a published work embodying the more significant papers developed through the seminar.

Among the themes chosen for study have been ``The History of Higher Education,'' ``The History of Popular Religion,'' and ``The History of Popular Culture.'' The first publication was a two-volume work, The University in Society, published by Princeton University Press in 1974, and edited by Lawrence Stone, who has served as director of the Davis Center since its establishment. The Davis Center was the original sponsor of Princetonians, 1748-1768: A Biographical Dictionary, edited by James McLachlan and published by Princeton University Press in 1976.

From Alexander Leitch, A Princeton Companion, copyright Princeton University Press (1978).