Doug Hicks Inagurated as 19th President of the College

In May of 1990, Doug Hicks was an economics major defending his senior thesis in a Chambers classroom. Now, that very thesis sits in the President’s office, serving as a reminder of his time and commitment to Davidson Hicks said his return is only natural – “I love Davidson and I have a real appreciation for its values, and they formed me, so it’s not a coincidence that there’s a fit because Davidson is such a part of my own upbringing.”

Hicks term began at the start of the 2022-23 school year, and he was officially inaugurated on Mar. 31. Dr. Suzanne Churchill, Professor of English and co-chair of the Inauguration Advisory Committee explained that the process for planning the inauguration weekend began in December of 2022.

“I think the series of events surrounding the inauguration fulfilled our goals, bringing us together after an era of pandemic and uniting us in a shared sense of community, whether we were reflecting on the painful parts of our history or committing to the work of hope for a better, more equitable future,” Churchill said.

In line with their mission to cultivate a sense of community during the inauguration, the Advisory Committee had the interests of alumni in mind. Chelsea Savage ‘21 works in the Alumni and Family Engagement office and has witnessed alumni’s enthusiasm about Hicks’ inauguration firsthand.

“I run the social media accounts for the alumni team, and all the comments on there have just been overwhelmingly positive and excited,” Savage said. “Some people really resonate with his messages [...] about giving Davidson hope, his initiatives towards DEI work, and the Commemoration Project.”

Savage also commented on Hicks’ selection process. While she was not part of the selection committee, she feels that the group “really put a lot of consideration into making sure that the actions that [Hicks] had taken [at his past institutions] support the leadership’s vision for where Davidson’s going in the future,” Savage said. In particular, the committee was impressed by “his work with commemoration [at Emory University and Oxford College].”

While at Oxford College, Hicks was the co-chair of Emory University’s Twin Memorials Working Group, a project intended to honor the enslaved people who worked on university campuses in Atlanta and Oxford. Hicks’ efforts with the Twin Memorials Working Group echo Davidson’s own Commemoration Project. Hicks believes his past experiences have provided him with the skills and expertise to best serve this “special community,” noting his time at the University of Richmond, Colgate University, and

Oxford College at Emory.

“I’ve spent my career in liberal arts colleges with high academics and commitment to the full self, and those experiences have helped me a lot,” Hicks said. “And I’d like to think I have both academic understanding and good people skills. I enjoy alumni, I enjoy parents, students, faculty and staff. I love all aspects of the job.”

Hicks expressed a deep appreciation for Davidson’s community.

“I love the perennial strengths of Davidson, specifically the friendships I’ve seen formed and the mentoring the faculty and staff provide for students and this adds up to community. It’s just an incredibly special community.”

When asked about his proudest moments as president thus far, Hicks again emphasized the college environment.

“I think promoting the community post-pandemic is one of the most important things we can do because if you don’t have a sense of human community and people’s belongingness it’s hard to have any educational attainment. So in order to have people learn and study, you have to feel at home and I think we’ve helped that transition.”

Hicks connected his academic background to his preparation for the role of college president. After graduating from Davidson, Hicks went on to pursue a Master of Divinity at Duke and a PhD in religion from Harvard.

“I think about my education, both in religious ethics and economics, they’re both about building a better society or building a community where everyone is treated as a moral equal...” Hicks said. “And so I see connections all the time between what I read in philosophy, religion, economics, political science that connect to leadership.”

In terms of future goals for the school and his position, Hicks hopes to promote inclusivity. He said his work is guided by the key question: “do people experience belonging and full membership in our community?”

Hicks also acknowledges that much of Davidson’s past has failed to fulfill this goal of inclusion.

“The enslaved laborers who built our early buildings weren’t full members [of our community] at all. That’s an extreme opposite of what we’re hoping for.”

Dr. Churchill connected the inauguration festivities to this vision of Davidson’s future.

“Participating in the inauguration events felt like practicing hope,” Churchill said.

Hicks emphasized in a symposium on Mar. 31 about Davidson’s future that the Davidson community must acknowledge its unjust history in order to move towards a more equitable and empathetic future. Addressing these memories is a challenging task for a new president, yet Hicks is enthusiastic and grateful to be part of the change.

“It’s a true honor.”