Henry P. Davison
| Henry Pomeroy Davison, Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
June 12, 1867 Troy, Pennsylvania |
| Died | May 6, 1922 (aged 54) Locust Valley, New York |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Kate Trubee (m. 1893; his death 1922) |
| Children |
Frederick Trubee Davison Henry Pomeroy Davison, Jr. Alice Trubee Davison Frances Pomeroy Davison |
| Parent(s) | Henrietta and George B. Davison |
Henry Pomeroy Davison, Sr. (June 12, 1867 – May 6, 1922) was an American banker and philanthropist.
Henry Pomeroy Davison was born on June 12, 1867 in Troy, Pennsylvania, the oldest of the four children of Henrietta and George B. Davison. Henry's mother died when he was nine years old in 1877.
After completing his education he became a bookkeeper in a bank managed by one of his relatives, and at age 21 he gained employment at a bank in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the hometown of his wife. Three years later he moved to New York City where he was employed by the Astor Place Bank, and sometime later became president of the Liberty National Bank. Several years later he was involved in the founding and formation of the Bankers Trust Company. In 1909 he became a senior partner at JP Morgan & Company, and in 1910 he was a participant in the secretive meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia that may have led to the creation of the Federal Reserve and has generated much speculation over the years.
With the entry of the United States in World War I in 1917, Davison was named Chairman of the War Council of the American Red Cross. In this capacity, he led a campaign to win financial support for the Red Cross, quickly earning four million dollars used to fund Red Cross ambulances. In recognition of his service he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and was one of the few civilians so honored.
After the end of the war, he pressed for the creation of an international organization to coordinate the work of the different national Red Cross societies. Based on his recommendations, the League of Red Cross Societies was founded on May 15, 1919 by the societies of Great Britain, France, Japan, Italy, and the United States. Davison, wanted the League of Red Cross Societies to supersede the ICRC in controlling the Red Cross action in international affairs . He argued that:
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