Davis is a university-oriented city with a progressive, vigorous community noted for its small-town style, energy conservation, environmental programs, parks, preservation of trees, red double-decker London buses, bicycles, and the quality of its educational institutions.
Founded in 1868, it was originally named Davisville for Jerome C. Davis, a prominent local farmer. The Davisville post office shortened the town name in 1907 and the change was official when the city incorporated in March 1917.
From its beginnings as an agricultural community, Davis is now recognized internationally for its contributions to life sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, biotechnology, medical technology and engineering.
Closely tied to the community’s history is the University of California at Davis. UC Davis was established in 1908 as the “University Farm School”. The School of Veterinary Medicine was formed in 1948, with Letters and Science added in 1951. Engineering, Law and Medicine were established in the sixties, while the Division of Biological Science and Graduate School of Management came into being in 1970 and 1981 respectively.