Hallowell Davis: A man for all of us

This paper reviews Davis’ education and scientific career, the many areas of science to which he contributed, the professional and public services that he rendered, and his assets as a colleague, mentor, and friend. He received the M. D. in 1922 from Harvard, where he served as teacher and scientist for 24 years. His early and persisting interests lay in the nervous system and its electrical potentials. During WWII his interests broadened to other aspects of hearing, including audiometry, noise exposure, functional test for otological surgery and design criteria for hearing aids. His second career, retaining many of those interests, began in 1946 when he went to Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis as Director of Research. He served actively in the U. S. government, the National Research Council, and the National Academy of Sciences and professional organizations, many of which honored him, and he was President of several. His contributions to the understanding of the physiology of the auditory system are known. Also known are important practical applications, the most recent of which was electric-response audiometry. He was a model for all of us—in science, teaching, clinical care, administration, civility, and personal integrity.