Charles Findlay Davidson died on 1 November, 1967. He was 56 years of age.
Born in Monifieth, Scotland, in 1911. Professor Davidson was educated at Morgan Academy, Dundee, and at St. Andrews University, where he graduated B.Sc. with first class honours in geology and mineralogy in 1934. In 1942 he was awarded the degree of D.Sc. by the same University.
In 1934 he joined what was then the Geological Survey of Great Britain as a geologist, being Assistant to the Curator Geological Museum, London. In 1941 he was appointed officer in charge of the Military Geology Unit of the Geological Survey, retaining that position until 1944, when he became Chief Geologist of the Atomic Energy Division of the Geological Survey.
Eleven years later he was appointed Professor of Geology at the University of St. Andrews, remaining there until his death.
Professor Davidson served on many official committees, as may be seen from the following: Secretary, Raw Materials Panel, Cabinet Advisory Committee on Atomic Energy (1946-47); member of Strategic Minerals Committee, Ministry of Supply (1947-54); British Government representative at the British Commonwealth Scientific Conference on Geology and Mineral Resources (1948) member of the Organizing Committee. International Geological Congress (1948); Chairman of the British-American-Canadian Official Conference on Uranium Resources (1949); and member of the Working Party on Commonwealth Mineral Resources.
Defence Research Policy Committee (1948-49). He was awarded the O.B.E. in 1953.
He was elected to Membership of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy in 1955. In addition, he was a member or fellow of the following: the Royal Society of Edinburgh (of which he was Vice-President); the Mineralogical Society of America; the Society of Economic Geologists; the Mineralogical Society of Great
Britain; and the Geological Society of London. In 1963 he was Distinguished Visiting Lecturer of the American Geological Institute and, two years later, Lyell Medallist of the Geological Society of London.
Professor Davidson was the author of many papers on general and economic geology, the following being published by the Institution: ‘The mode of origin of banket orebodies’ (Trans., vol. 74, 1965) and ‘Some genetic relationships between ore deposits and evaporites’ (Trans, vol. 75, 1966). He was also a frequent contributor to the discussion of other papers published in the Transactions; and the author of ‘A prospectors handbook to radioactive mineral deposits’ (1949). His activities in the publications field were
manifold: among others, may be mentioned his membership of the Translations Committee of the Geochemical Society and the American Geological Institute, and his Associate Editorship of Economic Geology. In addition, he had served on the Editorial Board of the Applied earth science Section of the Transactions since its inception doing much to further the aims of the Board and the Institution.
Vol. 76, Trans IMM 1967, pp.69-70
TRIBUTES TO: Professor Davidson
Pereira and C.J. Dixon writes: Everyone who crossed swords with Professor Davidson soon learnt that he was a worthy geological opponent with a lively contribution to make. He was a staunch debater who never let the battle of controversy cloud his warm contacts with his fellow geologists; and his presence will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
S.H.U. Bowie writes: The news of the death of Charles Davidson comes as a great shock to his numerous friends and colleagues in geology and the mining industry both in this country and overseas. Soon after the outbreak of the second world war, when he was Assistant to the Curator in the Geological Survey and Museum, he was recognized as an obvious choice to deal with the increasing enquiries on engineering geology and on strategic minerals in foreign territories. He fulfilled this task so ably that he was put in charge of a small unit which provided geological information for every major military operation in Africa and Europe. The most significant of these reports were on North Africa and other Mediterranean countries in 1942; on Yugoslavia, Crete, the Dodecanese, the Mohne Valley, Lampedusa, Pantelleria and certain Alpine tunnels in 1943; and on the flying bomb sites of France in 1944.
ln 1944 Davidson commenced his major task as Chief Geologist of the Special investigations Division (renamed the Atomic Energy Division in 1951) and in this position was occupied to the full until he left to take the Chair of Geology at St. Andrews eleven years later. One of his first duties was to visit the United States of America in conjunction with A.D. Storke to prepare a comprehensive review of world uranium and thorium ore reserves for the Manhattan District and to make recommendations on where best to search for ore. In the following years Davidson travelled extensively in North America, Africa, India and Europe and gained first-hand information on diverse types of uranium and thorium ore occurrences. He acted as geological consultant to the Ministry of Supply and later to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. He maintained close contact with numerous universities in non-communist countries and did much to bridge the gulf between academic and applied mining geology. He was well known to nearly all the major mining houses — especially those engaged on the production of atomic energy raw materials and strategic minerals.
Perhaps his greatest contribution to the atomic energy industry and to British and South African economy was the recognition in 1945, jointly with Professor George Bain, of the potential of the Witwatersrand as a source of uranium. The Witwatersrand Basin is now recognized as one of the largest uranium fields in the world, being on a par with the Blind River field of Canada and the Colorado Plateau of the U.S.A. Production of uranium in the peak years of the late 1950s was valued at approximately £50 000 000 per annum.
While Davidson was in charge of the Atomic Energy Division, he was responsible with his senior staff and with the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell for the design and production of numerous types of geological electronic equipment for manual, vehicle-mounted and aerial use. He also worked closely with the Chemical Research Laboratory, Teddington, in the development of new techniques of geochemical prospecting. The nature and urgency of his official duties did not leave him much time for scientific publications but, despite this, he published numerous papers and reports on atomic energy and related subjects. His most widely read publication was his ‘A prospectors handbook radioactive mineral deposits’ which was published by H.M. Stationery Office in 1949 and had three printings totalling 10 000 copies. In 1953 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services.
Davidson was a member or fellow of most of the principal societies concerned with the geological sciences, and the controversial nature of many of his papers was a great draw at scientific meetings. He seemed to be intolerant of those who held views different from his own — perhaps because he always believed that the best method of defence was attack. This impression, however, was more apparent than real, for he was man enough never to bear a grudge for any lack of concordance with his opinion. In fact, he admired anyone who was prepared to exchange shot for shot because he believed that a constructive argument inspired new thought and contributed much to increasing knowledge of geological problems. He was one of the most gifted writers in geological science, with a command of English such that it was always a pleasure to read one of his papers. He was one of the first British geologists to recognize the importance of post-war geological investigations in the U.S.S.R. and, even before he left the Atomic Energy Division, he gave much of his time to translating from Russian literature. English-speaking geologists throughout the world are enormously indebted to him for his efforts in this field and for making so much of the information he obtained available to others. Only about a fortnight before his death, he was elected President of the International Association on the Genesis of Ore Deposits, in recognition of the leading part he had played in recent years in stimulating thought on problems of ore genesis.
Charles Davidson, in addition to being a geologist of world repute, was one of the most understanding, generous and friendly of men that anyone could wish to meet. He enjoyed being in the company of others, telling stories of his travels as well as listening. This attribute won him many friends, all of whom will be deeply grieved at his passing. In addition, those who only knew him from his scientific papers will miss the stimulant of his pen, whether in original work or in his ably presented translations.
Our thoughts are with his wife and family at this sad time.
Vol. 76, Trans IMM 1967, p.70
