We have learned with great sadness of the death of Mrs Davis on the 23rd of April 2013 at the age of 106. The Institute expresses its sincere condolences to her family, her son Shelby, her daughter Diana, and her grandchildren.
Mrs Davis was the oldest of our Alumni. She obtained her doctorate at the Institute in 1934, the same time as her husband, Shelby Cullom Davis. She came back to Switzerland with him 30 years later, after his nomination to the post of United States Ambassador in Bern (1969-1975), and continued to keep strong ties with the Institute. During the last few years, she proved her attachment and confidence in our development with important marks of support.
It is a truly remarkable figure that has left us. Mrs Davis was striking in her elegance and liveliness of spirit, ever present curiosity, and unstoppable dedication to working toward peace. Republican by tradition, she decided to vote for Obama in 2008 to demonstrate her rejection of the policies of the Bush administration. Concerned with the risk of violence and oriented toward the search for solutions, she would not hesitate to speak up to people in positions of power in this world. I recall a message she addressed to the President of Pakistan asking him to store its nuclear weapons in an allied country in order to keep them from falling into the hands of the Taliban. I also remember very well one evening when we spoke about the existence of God and to my surprise she expressed independent ideas which are unusual among her generation and social standing.
An internationalist at heart and mind, Mrs Davis was exceptional in the support she gave to a higher education open toward the world. Over the course of the last years, the Institute greatly benefited from her engagement and generosity. In 2007, she decided to contribute to the construction of the Maison de la paix with a donation of CHF 10 million for the library, which will be named the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library. She also financed, since 2007, doctoral scholarships. Sixteen beneficiaries of these are now living proof of her intentions: she wanted these scholarships to contribute, on the one hand, to the education of students (one man, one woman) freshly graduated from American universities, and on the other hand, to students (one man, one woman) from Muslim countries. Finally, she included the Graduate Institute into her group of American universities that participate in the "100 Projects for Peace“ which she created on the occasion of her 100th birthday. As part of the Projects for Peace competition, each year one of our students is awarded a grant which they use to carry out a project to promote peace in the world.
We were very much looking forward to welcoming Mrs Davis in Geneva this autumn for the opening of the library which bears her name and that of her husband. Absent, she will remain an inspiration for many among us and an example of kindness and shining intelligence.
Philippe Burrin, Director