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Year: 1908
Who: Shelby Davidson (1868 – 1931)​
Where: Lexington, KY​
What: Shelby Davidson, born in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 10, 1868, exemplifies the potent combination of education, determination, and perseverance. His journey through the educational system reflects a tenacity characteristic of his later professional and inventive pursuits. After capitalizing on the educational opportunities available post-Emancipation, Davidson’s dissatisfaction with a state university program led him to Howard University in 1887, a leading institution for Black students at the time. Here, he underwent a preparatory program to better align with his peers academically.
Davidson's time at Howard was marked by a significant challenge in 1983 when he faced expulsion due to allegations regarding personal conduct. Unwilling to accept the faculty board’s decision without a chance to defend himself, Davidson contested the expulsion, arguing the faculty board lacked the authority for such a decision. After a protracted struggle, involving an appeal to the university trustees, Davidson was eventually awarded his degree in 1896, an ordeal that steered him towards a law career.
Davidson was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1899 and the District of Columbia bar in 1900. His career trajectory eventually led him to a position at the United States Treasury Department and later to the Office of the Auditor for the Post Office Department. It was here that Davidson, tasked with maintaining adding machines, leveraged his position to innovate. He created a paper-rewind mechanism for adding machines in 1908, improving the efficiency and management of paper resources in the administrative machinery. This device was pivotal enough to garner the attention of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, inviting him for specialized training.
Despite initial setbacks, including rebuffs from Burroughs and challenges from other companies like Connecticut Computing Machine Company, Davidson persisted. He continued refining his invention, leading to a significant breakthrough in 1910. Although his patent application faced challenges, Davidson’s inventive spirit never waned, as evidenced by his subsequent ventures into real estate and continued innovation.
Sources:
Websites:
Black Inventor Online Museum. (n.d.). Shelby Davidson. https://blackinventor.com/shelby-davidson/
Google Patents. (n.d.). Patent US884721A - Invention by Shelby Davidson. https://patents.google.com/patent/US884721A/en
MIT Press. (n.d.). 300 Years of African American Invention and Innovation. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/300-years-of-african-american-invention-and-innovation/#easy-footnote-33-7368
University of Kentucky. (n.d.). Shelby Davidson. https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/649
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