North Carolina Highway Historical Marker for D.H. Hill
Daniel Harvey Hill (1821-1889) was a Davidson College Mathematics professor and a Lieutenant General for the Confederate Army during the Civil War. His textbook Elements of Algebra (1859) contains many racist and sexist examples. Hill's North Carolina Highway Historical Marker is located on North Main Street in Davidson, near where he is buried.
For more information, see:
Soldiers and sentinels : Davidson's World War II veterans speak by 
North Carolina Highway Historical Marker for William Lee Davidson
William Lee Davidson (1740-1781) was a landowner and slaveholder in Rowan (now Iredell) County and a general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. On February 1st, 1781, Davidson was killed in action during the battle at Cowan’s Ford on the Catawba River in North Carolina, as his forces attempted to stop a British army commanded by Cornwallis from crossing the river. Davidson's son, William Lee Davidson II, provided the initial acreage for Davidson and the college was then named in his father's honor. Davidson's historical marker is located on Beatties Ford Road in Huntersville, NC.
For more information, see:
The Davidson College War Memorial commemorates alumni who lost their lives during service. Located behind Elm Row between the Old Well and the Carnegie Guest House. the memorial serves as a place to honor these individuals' service to our country. For more information, see "War Memorials Honor Service, Sacrifice of Davidson Alumni."
In 2015, alumni of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity raised funds to create more memorials, including ones for alumni who died in World War I, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A bench also was added to allow visitors to spend time in the space.
View a list of individuals who died while in service.
View a list of individuals who died while in service.
View a list of individuals who died while in service.
View a list of individuals who died while in service.
View a list of individuals who died while in service.
View a list of individuals who died while in service.
View a list of individuals who died while in service.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor. This attack prompted the United States to officially enter World War II. Across the nation, men and women mobilized to serve their country. At Davidson, numerous faculty, staff, students, and alumni went into service.
Many died, including Vereen Bell '32, a novelist and naval officer and George Phifer Erwin '36 and Edward Jones Erwin, Jr. '43, who were brothers and also the sons of a Davidson professor. In total, at least over 100 Davidson alumni lost their lives.
In Spring 1946, a service flag was displayed on campus to commemorate students and alumni who served in WWII. The top number, 147, likely refers to the number of students who served and the bottom number, 2496, likely refers to the number of alumni who served. In the 1943 issue of Quips and Cranks, there is a listing of those who went off to serve. The image on the left is an original image of the flag, while the image on the right is from the 1946 Quips and Cranks. In this post-war issue, the names and photographs of those who died while in service are also listed.
On our blog, Around the D, and in our Online Davidson Encyclopedia, you can find entries related to varying aspects of campus life and history. Listed below are select articles related to World War II and Davidson.
Davidson College Library Research Guides are licensed under
CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mailing Address: Davidson College - E.H. Little Library, 209 Ridge Road, Box 5000, Davidson, NC 28035