Ralph Currier Davis (December 24, 1894 – c. 1960) was an American industrial and

consulting engineer Engineering consulting is the practice of performing engineering as a consulting engineer. It assists individuals, public and private companies with process management, idea organization, product design, fabrication, maintenance, repair and operati ...

, Professor of Business Organization at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, and

organizational theorist An organization or organisation ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is an entity—such as a company, or corporation or an institution (formal organization), or an association—comprising one or more people and having a par ...

. He is known for his work on top management, especially his 1951 extension of

Henri Fayol Henri Fayol (29 July 1841 – 19 November 1925) was a French mining engineer, mining executive, author and director of mines who developed a general theory of business administration that is often called Fayolism. He and his colleagues developed ...

's work. In his 1951 book, entitled ''The Fundamentals of Top Management,'' Davis built on Fayol's "early work on the scientific approach to management and introduced the rational-planning perspective, which has had enormous influence on both the theory and practice of strategy ever since."

Biography

Youth education and early career

Davis was born in 1894 in Mohawk, New York, son of Frank Colin Davis and Susie Helen (Greene) Davis.John W. Leonard, Winfield Scott Downs, M. Lewis (M.) ''Who's who in Engineering,'' Volume 5. 1941. p. 432 He graduated from high school in 1912,Nelson Greene, ''History of the Mohawk Valley, gateway to the West, 1614–1925.'' 1925. p. 608. In 1916 he obtained his MSc of Engineering from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

, and later in 1926 his MA from

. After high school graduation Davis had started his career, in 1913, in the industry as special machinist apprentice. From 1916 to 1918 he was Junior industrial engineer at the

Winchester Repeating Arms Company The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American manufacturer of repeating firearms and ammunition. The firm was established in 1866 by Oliver Winchester and was located in New Haven, Connecticut. The firm went into receivership ...

, and in 1919 served as industrial engineer at The Gleason Works, now Gleason Corporation in Rochester.

Further career and honours

After another four year, from 1919 to 1923, as assistant labor commissioner at the Cleveland

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

, Davis started his academic career at the

in 1923 as assistant professor. He last appointment in the industry was head of the management department of the

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

Institute, where he served from 1927 to 1930. In 1930 back at the Ohio State University he was appointed associate professor, and in 1936 became Professor of business organization. He served at the College of Commerce and Administration of the Ohio State University until his retirement. In those years he was also Visiting professor at the Arkansas University,

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

, and at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

. In 1948 Davis served as president of the

Academy of Management An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the g ...

. In 1958 Davis was awarded the Taylor Key by the

Society for Advancement of Management The Society for the Advancement of Management, commonly known as SAM, is the oldest among professional management societies. On November 11, 1910 colleagues of Frederick W. Taylor met at the New York Athletic Club to discuss and promote the prin ...

. In 1964 he was awarded an honorary

Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...

from the

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...

. One of his notable students was Dillard E. Bird, president of the Society for Advancement of Management from 1949 to 1951.

Selected publications

* Davis, Ralph Currier. ''The principles of factory organization and management.'' Harper & brothers, 1928. * Davis, Ralph Currier.
The principles of business organization and operation
'' Columbus, O. : H. L. Hedrick, 4e ed. 1937. * Davis, Ralph Currier. ''Industrial organization and management.'' Harper & Brothers, 1940. * Davis, Ralph Currier. ''Shop Management for the Shop Supervisor.'' Harper & brothers, 1941. * Davis, Ralph Currier, and Michael James Jucius. ''Purchasing and Storing''. Vol. 34. Alexander Hamilton Institute, 1947. * Ralph C. Davis, ''The Fundamentals of Top Management.'' New York: Harper and Brothers, 1951.

References

External links

Ralph C. Davis, President (1948)
Academy of Management {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Ralph Currier 1894 births 1960s deaths American business theorists 20th-century American educators Cornell University alumni Ohio State University alumni Ohio State University faculty People from Herkimer County, New York