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Arthur Powell Davis papers, 1865-1974

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Davis, Arthur Powell, 1861-1933
Title
Arthur Powell Davis papers
Dates
1865-1974 (inclusive)
Quantity
10.75 cubic ft. (21 boxes)
Collection Number
01366
Summary
The Arthur Powell Davis papers include various project files, correspondence, articles by and about him, bibliographic information (including memoirs and diaries), a few photographs, and project maps. Also included are audiotapes of reminiscences by Douglas Powell Davis, Arthur Powell Davis' nephew.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.
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Historical Note

Arthur Powell Davis (1861-1933), nephew of John Wesley Powell, was one of the foremost hydraulic engineers in the world in the early twentieth century. Davis was one of a growing group of government professionals associated with the conservation movement that arose in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who were proponents of public service through professionalization that utilized scientific accuracy and precision.

Davis was born and raised in Indiana. He graduated from George Washington University in 1882 and received his first job as a typographer with the United States Geological Survey. In 1894 he left the U.S.G.S. and was the Hydrographer in Charge of Stream Measurements until 1897. From 1897 to 1901 he was the Hydrographer in Charge of Examination of Hydrologic Work for Interoceanic Canals in Nicaragua and Panama. In 1902 Davis joined the newly created Reclamation Service as Assistant Chief Engineer. In 1907 he became Chief Engineer and in 1914 became Chief engineer and Director of the Reclamation Service.

After the reorganization of the Reclamation Service into the Bureau of Reclamation in 1923 Davis worked for the East Bay Municipal District in California. In 1929 he left the country for the Soviet Union where he was Chief Consultant for Irrigation in Turkestan and Transcaucasia.

He returned to the United States in 1931 and was named a Consulting Engineer for the Boulder (later renamed Hoover) Dam project in 1933. He died shortly thereafter.

Davis was involved with the Colorado River Compact during the 1920s, the All-American Canal and Imperial Valley, and has been called the father of Hoover Dam.

Davis was named Doctor of Sciences from George Washingtion University in 1917, and Doctor of Engineering from Iowa State College in 1920. He married Elizabeth Brown in 1888 and they had four daughters. Elizabeth died in 1917 and he later married Marie MacNaughton.

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Content Description

The Arthur Powell Davis papers include various project files, correspondence, articles by and about him, bibliographic information (including memoirs and diaries), a few photographs, and project maps. Also included are audiotapes of reminiscences by Douglas Powell Davis, Arthur Powell Davis' nephew. The collection documents the career and public life of Davis well after 1908 including his work with Bureau of Reclamation projects, the Soviet Republic, the East Bay Municipal District, and other projects. Box 10 contains diaries from 1901 to 1933. Series VI, the Reclamation Service files, include information about the reorganization of the Reclamation Service in the Bureau of Reclamation and Davis' dismissal. There is limited information before 1908 to document Davis' involvement with John Wesley Powell's Geographic survey, the Salt River negotiations, and his association with the building of the Panama Canal. Information regarding the development of the Colorado River is also limited.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Restrictions on Use

Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in Collections

The American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.

Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Arthur Powell Davis papers, 1865-1974, Collection Number 01366, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

There are no other known archival collections created by Arthur Powell Davis at the date of processing.

Acquisition Information

The Arthur Powell Davis papers were donated to the American Heritage Center in 1964 by Mrs. Dorothy Stumpf. Additional material was received in 1974 from Mr. Douglas Powell Davis and Dorothea “Thea” Elisabeth Smith in 2023.

Processing Note

The collection was processed by Daniel Davis in August 1995 and updated by D.C. Thompson in January 2002 and Jamie J. Greene in May 2025.

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Detailed Description of the Collection