Evening star., 1943-04-10
Mrs. R. P. Davidson,
Granddaughter Of
Mark Hanna, Dies
Army Officers Wife
Was SoeioIIy Prominent
And Active in War Work


Mrs. Richard Porter Davidson, Al, ,
granddaughter of the late Senator
Mark Hanna of Ohio and socially
prominent here for a number of
years, died yesterday at her home,
2o8 North Fairfax street. Alexandria.
after an illness of four months.
She was the wife of 1t. Col. David
son.
Born in Ravenna, Ohio, Mrs.
Davidson, whose maiden name was
Elizabeth Hanna, was the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Dan R. Hanna. She
was educated in France, and fol-
lowing a tour of China made her
home here under the chaperonage
of her aunt, Mrs. Medill Mccormick,
the former Miss Ruth Hanna.
Aunt Entered Politics.
Mrs. Mccormick. after the death
of her husband in 1925, entered
politics and stumped the State of
Illinois to win the election as Re-
publican Representative at large In
1929 she ran for the Senate, but
lost to former Senator j. Hamilton
Lewis. She now is the wife of for
mer Representative Albert G. Simms
of New Mexico.
Mrs. Davidson was married to Col.
Davidson at St. Thomas Church here
in 1924 and continued to make her
home in the District until 1881 when
she and her husband made q tour
of Iceland. Norway and Russia.
They later purchased an old stone
farmhouse at Cooperstown. N. Y.
where they made their home until
1910, when Col. Davidson was called
to active duty here with the Army.
They had made their home in Alex
andria since 1910.
Mrs. Davidson was active in social
circles, and up to the time of her
illness had been active in war work.
Just before her illness. she served
as chairman of the Volunteers of
Child Day Care in Alexandria.
Last year she was elected president
OF Opportunity House, a war work.
ing center, and prior to that she had
been active in the American Wom-
ems Voluntary Service.
Leaves Two Daughters.
In addition to her husband, she
Is survived by two daughters, Miss
Daisy Gordon Davidson. l8, and
Elizabeth Porter Davidson, 7, both
of Alexandria.
Funeral services will be held Mon
day at Christ Church in Coopers-
town.
In 1928. a threat to kidnap their
child disclosed that the Davidsons
had recently separated. They later
were reconciled.
At that time Mrs Davidson re-
vealed that she and her husband
were working in close cooperation
to determine the source of a mystic
rious telephone call threatening
the safety of her 3-year-old daugh-
ter.
Shortly before the kidnap threat
the Davidson's home at 64OO Rock
vile road was robbed of ST 900 worth
of jewelry and at the time the
safety of her child was in question
the couple were waiting on a police
report on letter stating that other
things would be taken from the
home if the robbery investigation
were not dropped.
Was Dynamic Woman.
A dynamic woman, Mrs. David
son became active in war work long
before the attack on Pearl Harbor
and after the United States entered
the war she devoted her entire time
to war activities.
After her marriage. Mrs. Davidson
was not content to devote her time
only to social activities so she pur-
chased and operated a dress shop
on Connecticut avenue and gave
jobs to two friends who needed
them.
When she and Col, Davidson
moved to Southern Pines, N. C..
she made her cottage the center
of social activities there. At the
same time she found time to hold
full-time job representing q
beauty specialist and to serve as
chairman for the society to help
undernourished children of Moore
County.