The Davey Tree Expert Company
P.O. Box 5193
Kent, Ohio 44240-5193
FROM THE ARCHIVES – A PASSION FOR LEARNING
John Davey, founder of The Davey Tree Expert Company, as
a young boy spent his formative years in England working
as a farmhand to support his family.
It was not until the age of 18 when John first learned the
alphabet. Using this basic knowledge, John taught himself
to read and write using only two books: The dictionary and
a Bible.
Education played a critical role in John's development. By day,
he spent 10 to 12 hours working at, and learning, the principles
of agriculture, horticulture and floriculture. He spent his
evenings reading by candlelight long into the night.
After traveling to America in the spring of 1873, John landed a
job working as a janitor in a private school. The school agreed
to provide tuition as part of John's compensation, so he traded
his labor in order to attend classes in Greek, Latin, Astronomy
and Botany. Naturally, his favorite subjects were the sciences,
particularly those which dealt with plants and living things.
John believed in educating his clients, and later when he
established a small greenhouse business he provided his
"Davey's Floral and Landscape Educator" to customers who
bought plants from him. "Davey's Educator" offered basic
tips for caring for house, garden and landscape plants as well
as the unusual varieties he sometimes grew and sold.
John also wanted to educate the general public, and in 1901
he published "The Tree Doctor," his book about the science
of tree care. And he was passionate about educating his
employees, founding The Davey Institute of Tree Service
(today known as the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences) in 1909
to teach Davey employees his many patented tree care methods.
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John Davey.
John Davey 1846-1923
