Davison Chemical Corp. - 1935 dated Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by E.A. Wright Bank Note Co., Phila.

The Davison Chemical Company, founded in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1832 by William Davison, was a trailblazing force in the American chemical industry. Initially a family-owned firm, it grew into one of the world’s largest chemical manufacturing operations, producing sulfuric acid, acid phosphate, and various other chemical products. A pivotal moment in its history came in 1954 when it was acquired by W.R. Grace & Co., which paved the way for Grace’s entry into the specialty chemicals and materials industries. The original Davison plant in Curtis Bay, Baltimore, which opened in 1909, became a pivotal manufacturing hub and is renowned as the world’s oldest silica gel manufacturing facility.

Under the W.R. Grace umbrella, the Davison Chemical division played a pivotal role in significant industrial innovations, particularly in catalyst technology. During World War II, the urgent need for higher-octane fuel prompted Davison’s Curtis Bay facility to develop and ship the world’s first synthetic fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts for petroleum refining in 1942. This monumental scientific achievement led to the company’s introduction of other key advancements, such as the RANEY® nickel catalysts and the ultra-stable Y zeolite (USY) for FCC units. The Davison legacy continues as a core business segment within W.R. Grace, focusing on high-performance catalysts and silica-based engineered materials used in diverse applications, from oil refining to consumer products and pharmaceuticals.