Washington Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Dr. Allison Davis

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

1. Dr. Allison Davis (northeast panel)

Inscription.
[Northeast panel:]
Dr. Allison Davis, John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor in Education, first African-American to receive tenure at the University of Chicago (1948), and Woodlawn resident. Passed this site daily, crossing a race line as he walked from his African-American neighborhood to his office at the university.

[Northwest panel:]
If people of different cultures cannot associate freely, they cannot learn one another's special form of the American language, manners, morals, and social and psychological goals.

Allison Davis, Social-Class Influences on Learning, 1948

[Southeast panel:]
Although we seem trapped in an age of anger and despair, the alternatives remain the same as in all other ages. We can scuttle — or we can sail the seas. "Navigare necesse est." One must chart his course and sail.

Allison Davis, Convocation Address, University of Chicago, 1970.

[Southwest panel:]
Dr. Allison Davis (1902-1983), scholar and citizen, strove for an educational system that would help all children overcome barriers of caste and class. In 1994, the U.S. Postal Service issued a [stamp] honoring him

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as one of the earliest challengers of intelligence testing based on cultural bias.

Erected 2005.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Postal Mail and Philately series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1948.

Location. 41° 47.206′ N, 87° 36.4′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Washington Park. It is at the intersection of Midway Plaisance and Cottage Grove Avenue, in the median on Midway Plaisance. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60637, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s South Side. It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

Dr. Allison Davis (northwest panel) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

2. Dr. Allison Davis (northwest panel)

this marker: Fountain of Time (within shouting distance of this marker); The Boulevard System (within shouting distance of this marker); Washington Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Lorado Taft (approx. 0.3 miles away); Site of the First Self-sustaining Controlled Nuclear Chain Reaction (approx. half a mile away); Charles E. Merriam Center for Public Administration (approx. 0.7 miles away); Enrico and Laura Fermi (approx. ¾ mile away); Masaryk Memorial Monument (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. The panels are part of the Allison Davis Garden, at the western edge of the Midway Plaisance, across the street from the Lorado Taft Fountain of Time statue.

The four panels of text are distributed on the concrete ring surrounding the park. A metal scrap at the middle of the park indicates that perhaps a sculpture may have been located there at some point. However, none is visible on any Google Maps Street View photos of the site dating back to 2007.

The word "stamp" is bracketed in the inscription above because it is assumed to be the word that looks to

Dr. Allison Davis (southeast panel) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

3. Dr. Allison Davis (southeast panel)

have been chiseled out of the stone inscription.

Regarding Dr. Allison Davis. William Boyd Allison Davis, known as Allison, was born in Washington, D.C. Like his father, John Abraham Davis, he was the valedictorian of D.C.'s Dunbar High School. After graduating from Dunbar in 1920, he enrolled at Williams College in Massachusetts, where he would graduate four years later again as the valedictorian. Davis began work as an anthropologist, eventually earning his PhD from the University of Chicago and becoming a full-time professor. He retired in 1970.

Also see . . .
1. Allison Davis, Ph.D. From the American Psychiatric Association Foundation

Excerpt: "Mr. Davis's legacy is marked by his groundbreaking anthropology research on southern race and class dynamics during the 1930s, his exploration of intelligence quotient tests in the 1940s and 1950s, and his advocacy for education, which significantly influenced the development of the federal Head Start Program. His impactful contributions to academia and society earned him recognition, including a commemorative postage stamp from the United States Postal Service. In 1977, he
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

4. Dr. Allison Davis (southwest panel)
was honored as the recipient of the prestigious Solomon Carter Fuller Award."

(Submitted on October 17, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Allison Davis (1902-1983): Education. From the University of Chicago (Submitted on October 17, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Dr. Allison Davis Garden, facing east image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

5. Dr. Allison Davis Garden, facing east

Dr. Allison Davis Garden dedication plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

6. Dr. Allison Davis Garden dedication plaque

Credits. This page was last revised on October 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 17, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.