Charles Henry Davis was an important U.S. naval officer, scientist, and mathematician. Davis was born on January 16, 1807, in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1821, Davis enrolled into the prestigious Harvard University. His time there was short, however, as he stayed for only two years before leaving to become a midshipman in the U.S. navy. Davis was naturally gifted as a shipman, and moved up to become a lieutenant in 1834 (“Charles Henry Davis” 313). He spent several years dedicating himself to his occupation in the navy before finding an interest in math and science. In 1840, Davis moved to Cambridge, where he met Benjamin Pierce. Pierce was a math teacher who taught Davis math at an extremely high level. Through their studies together, Davis
