SAN ANTONIO – Did you know that San Antonio has ties to inventions like potato chips, soft serve ice cream, and the Thanksgiving favorite instant mashed potatoes?
That’s right, chemist and inventor Dr. William Davis is responsible for inventing all of these tasty items including the organic glue that holds particle wood together.
Davis’ journey didn’t begin in Texas, but he got here as soon as he could.
Davis attended New York University in 1945 then moved to Florida to attend Talladega college shortly thereafter.
He temporarily left college and served in the U.S. Armed Forces as the second lieutenant of engineers in the Korean War.
After the war, Davis returned to Talladega college and earned his B.S. in chemistry in 1956.
His pursuit of knowledge didn’t stop there. Davis went on to earn his M.S. degree in organic chemistry from the Tuskegee Institute in 1958 and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Idaho in 1965.
Idaho, potatoes, you see where this is going.
As research director for Physicians Medical Laboratories, Davis became legendary.
This is where he invented the potato chip, soft serve ice cream, the organic glue for particle board, and, drum roll, instant mashed potatoes.
You’re probably thinking, “ Well, that’s great and all but, what does this have to do with San Antonio?”
I got you.
Davis’ last stop on his road to awesome was none other than St. Phillip’s College right here in San Antonio. In 1995, Davis was named full professor of chemistry at the College.
In 2009, Davis retired and was named professor emeritus of the natural science department; and, the science building at St. Phillip's College was named in his honor.
Thank you, Dr. William C. Davis, for protecting our country in the U.S. military, and for your contribution towards Thanksgiving dinners across America.