American geologist and botanist. Director of the University of Michigan's Forestry Department Charles Davis studied the flora of Michigan as well as its peat resources. Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to a family interested in nature and plant cultivation, he spent three years working at his father's photographic studio after completing high school. Entering Bowdoin College (Maine) in 1882 he served as curator of the Cleveland Mineral Cabinet, steward in the dining room and a bicycle merchant. On graduating Davis spent a year teaching at Hyde Park High School in Chicago followed by 14 years as a teacher at Alma College in Michigan, during which time he conducted extensive fieldwork into the flora of that state. In 1889 he received an MA from Bowdoin and, having a particular interest in the plants of Tuscola and Huron counties, published "A contribution to the knowledge of the flora of Tuscola County, Michigan" in 1898.

Between 1896 and 1898 Davis was drafted into the Michigan Geological Survey and produced reports for them on several counties. At the same time he produced important work on the vegetable origin of "shell marl" which was being used in the Michigan cement industry. In 1900 Davis left the classroom for the University of Michigan, being appointed director of their newly created Forestry Program, for which he undertook further training at Cornell. In 1904 he was tasked with undertaking a study of the Michigan peat resources for the US Geological Survey, a piece of work which not only provided him with a PhD thesis, but also elevated him to one of the United States experts on peat. Awarded his doctorate by the University of Michigan by the same institution in 1905, he was named curator of the herbarium at Michigan the same year. From this time onwards Davis' role in the Forestry Department declined steadily and in 1908 he moved to Washington and the US Geological Survey. He did, however, continued to conduct field work in both geology and ecology, studying the algae, flowering plants and ferns of Michigan.

Sources:
K.L. Jones, 1977, "Our botanical forbearers in Michigan", Michigan Academician, 9(3): 261-283
F.A. Stafleu and R.S. Cowan, 1976-1998, Taxonomic Literature, 2nd edition (TL-2), 5: 501
Department of Botany, Departments History, University of Michigan:
http://umhistory.dc.umich.edu/history/Faculty_History/LSA_Departments_History/Department_of_Botany_1841.html, accessed 9 May 2011.