[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 28, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E679-E680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING CHARLES W. DAVIDSON FOR HIS PHILANTHROPIC WORK IN SAN JOSE, 
                               CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2007

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. 
Charles W. Davidson, one of San Jose, California's most successful home 
builders and a dedicated patron of San Jose State University.

[[Page E680]]

  Mr. Davidson is an alumnus of San Jose State University. Born and 
raised in Oklahoma cattle country, Davidson served 3 years in the Air 
Force before working as an engineer for the state highway department.
  In 1954, Davidson met and married Anita Wien, also a graduate of San 
Jose State University and they settled in Willow Glen.
  Davidson opened a consulting engineering company in 1960 and then in 
1961 began his business in homebuilding. He founded five companies and 
by the 1980s he had become the biggest independent builder of 
subsidized housing in Northern California.
  While his businesses are a vital part of the area economy, Davidson 
is also a role model in giving back to the community. In 1992 he 
created a foundation that supports the arts, higher education and human 
services organizations.
  Mr. Davidson's foundation was a major contributor to San Jose State 
University's new athletic training facility. He chaired the fundraising 
efforts which resulted in a $1 million gift from the Koret Foundation. 
Although Davidson did not play competitive sports at SJSU, he has been 
a devoted fan of Spartan athletics, attending nearly every football 
game since 1952.
  For the College of Engineering at San Jose State University, Davidson 
has recently endowed a $2 million professorship for construction 
management in his field of civil engineering.
  Davidson is also strongly loyal to the several hundred people who 
work for him, providing the maximum retirement plan the government 
allows and overseeing the companies' pension funds himself.
  I am pleased to honor Mr. Charles W. Davidson for his philanthropic 
and business contributions to the San Jose area that I have the honor 
of representing.

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