Hugh MacCullough Davidson
Hugh MacCullough Davidson
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Hugh Davidson Obituary
Hugh MacCullough Davidson, 91, of Charlottesville, passed away suddenly Friday, April 10, 2009, at the University of Virginia Medical Center.
Born January 21, 1918, in Lanett, Alabama, to parents Robert Calvin Davidson Sr. and Anne Della Stripling, he enjoyed a distinguished career as professor of French language and literature.
Mr. Davidson obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees (AB 1938 and PhD 1946) at the University of Chicago and an honorary MA (1967) from Yale University. He taught at Chicago from 1946 until 1953, serving as Assistant Dean of the College for three years, Dartmouth College (1953 until 1962), where he was Chair of the department of Romance Languages from 1957 until 1959, and Ohio State University (1962 until 1967, 1968 until 1973). He came to the University of Virginia in 1973, where he remained until his retirement in 1993. There, he was named Common-wealth Professor of French Literature, until 1993, with change to Professor Emeritus at that time. He was a member of the University of Virginia Society of Fellows.
He had several visiting professorships, most notably Thomas Jefferson fellow at Downing College, Cambridge University, UK, from 1979 until 1980, La Sorbonne from 1982 until 1983, Michigan, Yale, and The Folger Institute (D.C.). His studies and travels in Europe, especially France, were facilitated by Fulbright and Humanities Foundation fellowships.
An expert on French literature of the 17th and 18th centuries, he published several books with Cambridge, Chicago, Cornell and Ohio State University Presses. A favorite subject was Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and religious thinker of the time.
Mr. Davidson also contributed essays and chapters to many other volumes and a collection of essays in his honor was published in 1989 by two colleagues at Virginia.
He held membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society and other scholarly associations, including a life membership in the Modern Languages Association.
During World War II, he served from 1942 until 1946 as a Captain in the Ninth Air Force working in Europe at radio intelligence and cryptanalysis.
His interests included art, history, science, philosophy and music.
Mr. Davidson was married in 1951 to Loretta Jane Miller (deceased in 1994) in Chicago, Illinois.They have one daughter, Anne S. (born in 1955).
He was predeceased by his parents; five brothers, G. Nathaniel and his wife, Mary Lovelace, Robert C. Jr., William H., and Lee S., all of West Point, Georgia, and Jackson B. and his wife, Mary Ann; nieces, Anne C. Davidson and Mary A. Miller of Ohio.
He is survived by a daughter Anne S. of Randolph, New Jersey; grandchildren, Samuel D. and Jane S. Windler of Columbus, Ohio; three nephews, William C. Davidson of Knoxville, Tennessee, Frank C. Miller IV of Ohio and Florida, and Jonathan C. Miller of Florida; three nieces, Diane Cook and her husband, Fred, of Georgia, Julie McCaffrey and her husband, Glenn, of South Carolina, and Adele S. Davidson of Ohio; and two step-granddaughters, Sarah L. and Jenny L. Windler of California. Mary Ann Davidson of Tennessee also survives.
He will be missed greatly by numerous friends, colleagues, and former students who will remember him for his wisdom, encouragement, humor, and humility.
A devout Episcopalian, he was an active member of St. Paul's Memorial Church on University Avenue.
Friends will be received from 7 until 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at Hill and Wood Funeral Home, with services at St. Paul's Memorial Church, University Avenue, 11 a.m. Thursday, April 16, 2009, the Reverend Jim Richardson, Officiant.
A private graveside service will follow Saturday, April 18, 2009, in Woodstock, Ohio, the Reverend Don Rogan, Officiant.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Department of French, University of Virginia, at the UVA Fund, P.O. Box 400314, Charlottesville, VA 22904. Please specify in memory of Hugh M. Davidson.
Friends may sign the guest book at www.hillandwood.com
This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
2 Entries
Erik Midelfort
April 20, 2009
Hugh was the model of friendship and collegial helpfulness, even with younger scholars whom he did not have any reason to know or care about. I admired his gentle and learned manner and his broad learning. I'll miss him deeply.
H. C. Erik Midelfort, Department of History, University of Virginia
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Willa Lawall
April 14, 2009
As an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, I enthusiastically enrolled in graduate art history courses and was told that I would have to be able to use French for research. I had taken a French phonetics course and had been thoroughly intimidated by the authoritative professor. So I timidly enrolled in Professor Davidson's French for Reading. He was so helpful that I have never forgotten the enriching experience of being part of his class. I seem to recall that he was called upon one summer later, to be on the committee to grill me in defense of my dissertation. His presence gave me courage. Many, many years later here in Charlottesville, I encountered him at a local car dealership while waiting for my car to be repaired. We had a pleasant conversation. From age 17 to now 76, the name Hugh Davidson has given me reason to smile.
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