Henriette Marie Meyer

Henriette Marie Meyer (1872–1963), known as Lady Davis after her husband was knighted in 1917,[1] was a Jewish Canadian philanthropist and the wife of Sir Mortimer Davis.[2]

Life

She was born in San Francisco, the daughter of Charles Meyer, a banker and philanthropist.[2] On June 12, 1898, she married wealthy businessman Mortimer B. Davis, and the couple moved to Montreal.

In 1901, she bore a son, named Mortimer Davis.[2] A few years later, she adopted her nephew Philip. In 1924, the couple divorced. In the divorce settlement, she received more than a million dollars, allowing her to continue her philanthropic activities.[2]

After her divorce, she moved to France, where she founded a resort for disabled children named the Colonie de vacance. For her actions, she received the Legion of Honour from the French government. She also helped to house refugees escaping from Nazi persecution.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, she returned to Montreal, where she donated a Spitfire plane to the British Army and provided lodging for RAF pilots. For her contributions, she received the Order of the British Empire.

After the end of the war, she founded the "Lady Davis Fund", which helped bring survivors of the Holocaust to Canada. In 1963, she funded the construction of several schools in Israel.

Buildings and funds named after her

  • The Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center in Haifa
  • The Lady Davis Foundation

References

  1. ↑ "London Gazette" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Biography – DAVIS, Sir MORTIMER BARNETT – Volume XV (1921-1930) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". Retrieved 2017-04-05.
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