James W. Davidson | |
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| Born | (1872-06-14)June 14, 1872 Austin, Minnesota, USA |
| Died | July 18, 1933(1933-07-18) (aged 61) Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Occupations | Businessman, diplomat, explorer, journalist, philanthropist |
| Known for | The Island of Formosa, Past and Present Contributions toRotary International |
| Title | US Consul toFormosa |
| Term | (1898–1904) |
| Spouse | Lillian Dow Davidson |
James Wheeler Davidson (14 June 1872 – 18 July 1933) was an American-born Canadian businessman, diplomat, explorer, journalist, and philanthropist. He is remembered for writingThe Island of Formosa, Past and Present (1903), a book on thehistory of Taiwan. He is also noted for greatly aiding the internationalisation ofRotary International.
In 1893 Davidson was a member of thePeary expedition toGreenland, which was attempting to find a route to theNorth Pole.[1] In 1895 he travelled to Taiwan as a war correspondent to report on the transition fromQing rule toJapanese rule, and witnessed the resistance to the Japanese takeover which centred on the short-livedRepublic of Formosa. He was decorated by the Emperor of Japan in 1895 with Order of Rising Sun for services rendered to the Japanese army in capturing the capital of Formosa.[2] Once the Japanese established control over the island, he took up a job as a trader based in the town ofTamsui. In June 1897, he was appointed byPresident Cleveland consular agent for the island of Formosa, where he remained nine years, during which time he wrote numerous monographs on Formosan affairs.[2]
Disappointed by the lack of a comprehensive general history of the island in English, Davidson undertook eight years of research on the subject, poring through accounts in many languages until he was able to write his magnum opus in 1903, which he calledThe Island of Formosa, Past and Present. The book has gone through several reprints, and remains a central work in the study of the history of Taiwan, with one commentator describing it as "the major English language survey of Taiwan for its days and still the most frequently consulted English language source".[3]
In 1903, he obtained leave of absence, and under the auspices of the Russian Communications Department made a careful survey of the territory adjacent to the Asian section of theTrans-Siberian Railway, collecting material for a complete report of this territory, extracts from which appeared in theCentury Magazine (April–June 1903).[2]
In 1904, Davidson was appointed toDalny,Manchuria, one of the political consulates, where he was expected to promoteSecretary Hay's "open door" policy. Later he became consul atAndong, Manchuria, and commercial attaché to the American legation,Peking, and special agent of theDepartment of State. He was appointed byPresident Roosevelt in 1905consul general at Shanghai.[2] He also served inNanjing.
Invalided out of the service in 1905, he returned to the United States to convalesce, subsequently emigrating to Canada once he had recovered. Once there he became involved in thelumber business, making his fortune and becoming a pillar of the local community.[3] Davidson was an enthusiastic member of the Rotary club in Calgary, and when the organisation wanted to extend its reach throughout theMediterranean, Middle East, Southeast Asia andAustralasia, he was the logical choice as envoy to the region because of his prior international experience. Leaving for chartering trips in 1921 and from 1928-31, he spent CAN$255,000 of his own money to establish branches of Rotary International in Australia,New Zealand,Greece,Egypt,Jerusalem,Burma,Siam (Thailand),Java, and in several of the Malay states includingSeremban,Kuala Lumpur,Malacca,Penang,Ipoh,Klang and Singapore. In total his trip lasted two and one-half years, and he was responsible for founding over twenty branches of the organisation around the world.[4]
He was a fellow of theRoyal Geographical Society and member of theAsiatic Society,the Explorers Club, thePeary Arctic Club and the Authors' Club. In 1915, he was president of eight banks inNorth Dakota.[2]
Davidson died in Vancouver in his adopted homeland of Canada on 18 June 1933.[5]Mount Davidson (Alberta) was named after him.[6][7]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Joseph, N.T., James Wheeler Davidson. Profile of a Rotarian, privately printed, India, 1987.
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