Royal Page Davidson

Early life

Davidson was born in Somerville, New Jersey on October 9, 1870. His early basic education was in a country public school.

Mid life

Davidson attended the Massachusetts Agricultural College and the University of Wisconsin. He also attended Northwestern Military and Naval Academy and graduated from there in 1889.

Northwestern Military Academy

Davidson was commandant of Northwestern Military and Naval Academy from 1892 to 1912. He was its secretary and treasurer from 1912 to 1914. Davidson was their superintendent and president from 1914 to 1935. His father Harlan Page Davidson started the Academy.

Bicycle Corp

Davidson organized the first military Bicycle Corps in 1894. It consisted of cadets from the Northwestern Military Academy. Davidson developed the military bicycle corps in the hope that the bicycle would speed up the movement of troops. Davidson staged a cross-country 850 mile expedition to Washington, D.C in the summer of 1897. The maneuvers were done in a military practice as if the Bicycle Corps were traveling in enemy territory. The expedition took 15 days and had much national publicity. Davidson offered the government the services of his Bicycle Corps when the Spanish–American War broke out. He was turned down since the military bicycles had minimum firepower and showed it left the bicycle-rider exposed to retaliation. The new automobile that was being innovated at the time showed better combat possibilities, if it could be properly armed and protected against enemy firepower.

Armored cars

Davidson was the leading pioneer of armored military vehicles in the United States starting in 1898. He is described as the inventor of the first military vehicle in United States. He made a three-wheeled automobile armed with a gun carriage in 1899. There were many newspaper articles at the time with imaginative stories and drawings of Davidson's military vehicle. Davidson's gasoline military vehicle was much simpler than their futuristic drawings. Later it was developed into the Automobile Battery armored car. Today's historians can trace the lineage of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle back to Davidson's vehicles. Davidson is considered "The Father of American armored cars."

Davidson contributed to various journals that were associated with the military and science. He was an inventor of various military equipment, including a military vehicle radio. He even designed the first field hospital automobile with X-ray equipment.

Fraternities and clubs

Davidson was associated with the Delta Union and the Delta Upilon Fraternity. He was also a member of the Pines Crest Lakes Club of Avon Park, Florida; Union League Club of Chicago; Army and Navy Club of Chicago; University of Wisconsin Club of Chicago; and the Big Foot Country Club of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He was also a Colonel in the Reserve Corps of the United States Army. He was also president of the North Central Academic Association of Colonial Illinois National Guard. He was also associated with the Union League Club, the National Geographic Society, and the Navy League.

Later life and death

Davidson died on January 16, 1943. He is buried at the Northwestern Military and Naval Academy.