Crown City History I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H H O T E L D E L C O R O N A D O & C O R O N A D O H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N HOTEL DEL CORONADO
Man of Vision B y L E S L I E C R AW F O R D
G
ilbert Aubrey Davidson (1868-1957), better known as G. Aubrey Davidson, is a person whose name may not be familiar, but his legacy is as substantial as the most famous names in San Diego history. On Oct. 2, 1886 at age 18, Davidson followed his parents and brother to San Diego from their home in Nova Scotia. Their reports of San Diego convinced him to head west, too, but his first impression of San Diego when he stepped off the train was not a good one. Dirty streets and a dusty town surrounded the depot, but he saw potential and stepped out to start a new life in a town with promise. His first job was as paymaster at the Santa Fe headquarters in National City, and he was later transferred to Los Angeles. When John D. Spreckels proposed building the San Diego-Arizona Railroad, Davidson saw opportunities and moved back to San Diego permanently in 1907. He founded the Southern Trust and Savings Bank, which later became the present-day Bank of America, growing it to be the largest banking institution in San Diego with more than $1.25 million in capital and surplus. Headquartered in the U.S. Grant Hotel, there was a satellite office in Coronado in the building that is now home to Coronado Historical Association. In 1909, as president of the chamber of commerce, Davidson first proposed an international exposition to promote San Diego in conjunction with the opening of the Panama Canal. He became president of the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition, meeting dignitaries from around the world and putting San Diego into the spotlight. He also served as chairman of the board of Balboa Park’s 1935-36 California Pacific International
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CROWN CITY MAGAZINE
| JANUARY 2020
G. Aubrey Davidson (left) with Henry Ford.
Exposition. Davidson was a staunch supporter of the military and was instrumental in establishing the Navy in San Diego. In partnership with Col. Joseph Pendleton, he helped establish the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Once that was completed, he led campaigns to raise funds to purchase 150 acres to establish the Naval Training Center and to build a 1,000-bed hospital, known as Balboa Naval Hospital. He was later recognized for his military advocacy, receiving the Navy’s highest honor, the Distin-
