Special Honorary Achievement
John E. Davison was born in 1908 in Yorkshire, England and moved to the United States with his family at the tender age of six weeks. He attended school in Troy Township in Geauga County. John enrolled at Hiram College and graduated in 1934. At the time of his graduation, he was recognized as one of Portage County’s greatest athletes having won a total of twelve letters in four sports. In recognition of his athletic accomplishments, he has been inducted into both the Hiram College and Portage County Sports Hall of Fame. He received offers to play both professional football and baseball, but declined both because of financial considerations. After college, he moved to Ravenna and was employed by Ravenna Lumber. In 1937, he married his college sweetheart, Margaret, who later became a teacher at Ravenna High School. In 1942, he was drafted into the United States Army where he served during World War II. After the war, he returned to Ravenna and became plant superintendent at Jones Brothers Structural Steel Company. His love for sports had not diminished and he became an avid supporter of Ravenna Athletics. He attended every Ravenna football game from 1946 until his death in 1986. John was very instrumental in establishing the Ravenna Hot Stove League in the 1950’s. As an officer in the Ravenna Elk’s Club, he helped the organization make significant contributions of both time and money to the Ravenna School System. At the time of his death, a scholarship in his name was established at Ravenna High School.