Members of
the very first
graduating class
of D.I.T.S. in 1909.
CLIMBING THROUGH HISTORY
For over a century, the best of Davey have embarked on
a pilgrimage from across North America to attend the
Davey Institute of Tree Sciences in Kent, Ohio, the very
place where John Davey established the art of tree care.
The first class convened in the winter of 1908 with fewer
than two dozen Davey men taught by four instructors.
Martin L. Davey, Sr., founded D.I.T.S. as an effort to retain
men through the winter months–when little tree work
was available at the time and men often left the company
to seek steady employment elsewhere. By offering a $1
raise to attend, Martin believed he could retain his work
force while improving their technical skills. As usual,
Martin was right. The men studied diligently through the
wintry, three-month course and graduated in early 1909.
Soon D.I.T.S. developed a collegiate atmosphere.
The course expanded to three, four-month terms held
through three consecutive winters. The curriculum
included botany, entomology, plant pathology, disease
and insect control, soils, fertilization and, of course, the
theory and practice of tree surgery. Classes also included
accounting, business English and business ethics.
Davey even used classrooms and housing at Kent State
University as teaching space and living quarters for
students while they were in Kent.
Even athletics, for a time, became part of the curriculum
with D.I.T.S. regularly fielding teams in basketball and
other sports.
D.I.T.S. remained an important facet of company business,
although it was briefly discontinued in 1931 due to the
Depression, for the duration of World War II and again
for a year in 1969 due to an inability to find enough
employees to attend–possibly a result of the military
draft for the war in Vietnam.
When first opened, it was called The Davey School of
Practical Forestry. In 1911, it became The Davey Institute
of Tree Surgery. In 1946, it was renamed the Davey
Institute of Tree Service. It has retained the title of Davey
Institute of Tree Sciences since 1974.
Today a select few experience the privilege of attending
D.I.T.S. each year. When the 2016 class turned the tassels
on their hard hats they continued a tradition dating back
107 years–and they permanently etched their names into
Davey history.
ARCHIVES
FROM
THE
38
| March/April 2016
