{"id":8898,"date":"2024-12-30T01:11:44","date_gmt":"2024-12-30T09:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daviddilworth.com\/pol\/?p=8898"},"modified":"2026-03-19T13:47:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:47:52","slug":"dan-davis-polymath-remembered-in-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daviddilworth.com\/pol\/dan-davis-polymath-remembered-in-highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Dan Davis, a True Renaissance Man Remembered in Highlights (Obituary)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dan

Dan Davis – Polymath<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

An extraordinarily valuable bright light<\/strong> in our world’s “civilization” blinked out last week with the death of Pacific Grove’s Daniel Davis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Dan was a genuine Polymath:<\/strong><\/a> a brilliant, but humble Math genius<\/a>, distinguished Naval Postgraduate School Professor<\/a>, ethical and successful Pacific Grove Councilman, leading edge Digital Research Programmer and Manager<\/a>, MBARI Engineering Manager<\/a>, Single-handed ocean-crossing Sailor<\/a>, Accordion aficionado<\/a>, graceful Ballroom dancer and a great friend to many.<\/p>\n

He was\u00a0a gentle man of well-thought out life principles, deep study and reflection, sharp insight into complex problems, high quality abilities in many fields, sincere public<\/em> humility – but fierce in his advocacy for ideas (often quoting from Sun Tzu’s “Art of War<\/a>” and Sir\u00a0Thomas\u00a0More<\/a>), an ironic sense of humor, and an ability to expound for hours on many subjects dear to his heart – and never say anything trivial.<\/p>\n

Dan was perhaps known most widely locally as a Pacific Grove City Council member and a graceful classic ballroom dancer. However, he conducted important acts on the world dance-floor to make ours a notably better world.<\/p>\n

Computer Wizard<\/strong>
\nDan was a close friend of Digital Research<\/a> founder Gary Kildall<\/strong><\/a> and one of the earliest employees. They both taught at the US Navy’s Postgraduate\u00a0 School<\/a> in Monterey. With Gary he co-developed the PL1-80 Compiler<\/a> which was the “first high level programming language for microprocessor based computers” and the original implementation language for CP\/M<\/a> – which evolved<\/a> into Microsoft’s DOS and Windows.<\/a><\/p>\n

Engineering Magician<\/strong>
\nDan’s decades long friendship with David Packard<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0co-founder of Hewlett-Packard<\/a>, led to his efforts as a Senior Researcher and sparkplug of MBARI’s<\/a> exciting, groundbreaking and world renowned Underwater Vehicle engineering<\/a><\/strong>. He was informally known as MBARI’s Socratic Gadfly.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Math Genius (<\/strong>the Davis Data Minimization Method)<\/strong>
\nDan spent more than a decade developing a landmark\u00a0method and algorithm<\/b>\u00a0to minimize the number and position of data points needed to provide credible data accuracy for scientific conclusions. His method is general and can be applied to many environmental studies – sampling\u00a0 data in oceans, atmosphere, land and even in space.<\/strong> His unofficial appointment was as a “Socratic Gadfly.”<\/p>\n

When he was happy with his method handling sampling in\u00a01-dimension\u00a0he had it published with\u00a0Catherine Goyet<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(of University of Perpignan<\/a>, France), in a book with an application to oceanography.(1) He then went on developing and improving his algorithms to handling sampling in other (2,3, \u2026, and n) dimensions<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0These results will be published in another book in 2025.\u00a0In my opinion his work is a\u00a0landmark in the history of science<\/strong>. I believe Dan’s algorithms will be utilized, adulated and revered for generations to come.<\/p>\n

I find it laudable how Dan first developed his Data Minimization as a limited 1-dimensional case, then expanded it for general use in a similar manner with how Einstein first developed his limited “Special Relativity” and later “General Relativity.”<\/p>\n

Dan published 24 academic papers which are cited hundreds of times.<\/a><\/p>\n

Sailor<\/strong>
\nDan single-handedly and competently sailed a small sailboat<\/a> from Hawaii to Monterey. He was easily capable of preparing a boat for such a daunting voyage. While underway he made repairs to sails, engine and electronics – and completed the trip with no disasters, although he was nearly washed overboard in a storm when his boat turned completely over.<\/p>\n

Dancer<\/strong>
\nAny given Saturday evening you might find Dan dancing the night away at Chautauqua Hall to classical music. Many women partners considered his smooth formal ballroom dancing style notably gracefully elegant.<\/p>\n

Councilman, Pacific Grove<\/strong>
\nAs a Councilman he wasted no time after his most recent appointment. On the very next agenda item he carefully and patiently led the Council through a dozen principles to adopting a landmark “Civil Bribery<\/strong><\/a>” law a new and powerful way to stop votes for dollars. Previously when Dan served 8 years on Pacific Grove’s Planning Commission he was instrumental in leading that body\u00a0 to enforce building laws in Pacific Grove designed to protect our environment and our town character.<\/p>\n

Dan is survived by his two children: Rachel and her (adorable) children, son Graham, and some of his five former wives.<\/p>\n

Scintillating Susan Nilmier<\/a> arranged a wonderful memorial on February 22, 2025 afternoon at Center for Spiritual Awakening<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>in Pacific Grove.<\/p>\n