Willis E. Davis (painter)
| Willis E. Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1855 |
| Died | March 11, 1910 (aged 54–55) Atlantic Ocean |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Landscape painting |
Willis E. Davis (1855 – March 11, 1910) was an American landscape painter known for the high prices his works commanded, and for his leadership of the Bohemian Club, the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art and the San Francisco Art Association. He made a career as a contractor in electrical engineering before he started painting, and he was also interested in commerce, serving as director of several firms.
Davis was born in , the son of Isaac Elphinstone Davis, an engineer and miner from Massachusetts who became wealthy during the California Gold Rush not by mining gold but by manufacturing lime. Davis's mother was a young widow whose first husband died while on an engineering assignment in Hawaii. She married Isaac E. Davis in the early 1850s. The couple had four children: Willis, Gertrude (who later married F. W. Van Sicklen), Ethel (who later married Edward C. Hodges), and Horace who died in childhood. Davis's father was respected for his leadership and citizenship, having been a member of the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance, and the president of the Society of California Pioneers.
Davis traveled east to get his education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A member of the class of 1877, he graduated early in 1876 with a degree in science and literature, intending to go into the mining business.
Returning to California after college, Davis settled in San Francisco, taking residence among other well-to-do citizens in Pacific Heights at 2501 Scott Street. He established a business in electrical engineering at 211 Drumm Street in downtown San Francisco near the docks. Once a year at the end of May he administered entrance examinations to local MIT candidates. His electrical contracting business was successful, and his father hired him to help in the administration of the family lime business which was then operating as Davis & Cowell in Santa Cruz. He also served on the board of directors of the San Francisco Savings and Loan Society and the Edison Light and Power Company of San Francisco.
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