dr. david holcomb
H I S TO R Y A N D P O L I T I C A L S C I E N C E P R O F ESS O R
History and political science professor Dr. David Holcomb warmly greets visitors to his small, cozy office on the third floor of Heard Hall. Camouflaged in the piles of papers on his desk is a coffee mug that he typically sips as he visits with students. Holcomb is known for his challenging and thought-provoking lectures, which demonstrate his passion for diving into the complexities of controversial topics such as religion and politics. But he is equally known among his students for his sense of humor. “I have a cheesy, corny sense of humor that I torture my students with on a regular basis. I get a lot of eye rolls in the classroom,” he laughs. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Holcomb has coordinated the UMHB London Studies program since 2007. Each spring semester, the program gives ten students the opportunity to study abroad in London. During that time, students take a full load of classes, instructed by both British and American faculty. Every Friday, they take trips to places such
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as Canterbury and Hampton Court. Weekly theater and musical productions are also part of the London Studies program curriculum. Holcomb had a similar experience as a student at William Jewel College in Missouri, so coordinating the program felt like a natural fit. “One of the most significant events during my undergraduate career was the opportunity to spend a semester studying in Oxford, England,” he says. “I was able to take courses in the British tutorial fashion under some brilliant Oxford professors. My tutor in the French Revolution could read and write in 24 different languages!” Once his semester abroad ended, Holcomb and his roommate spent a month backpacking through Europe: traveling to Amsterdam, visiting the Christmas markets in Germany, skiing the Alps in Switzerland, visiting the Louvre in Paris, and attending Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in St. Peter’s Cathedral at the Vatican. “It was an amazing and, in many ways, transformative experience. I find directing the London Studies Program very gratifying because I get
to see UMHB students have some of the same meaningful experiences I enjoyed as a college student. Whether it’s for missions or academic purposes, traveling abroad really gives people an important perspective on their lives and the world.” GUARDIAN OF THE WALL Holcomb is currently under contract with Lexington Books to publish his book, Guardian of the Wall: Leo Pfeffer and the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment, which is an expanded and revised version of his doctoral dissertation. He first became acquainted with Leo Pfeffer’s work while he was in graduate school at Baylor. During Pfeffer’s career, which spanned the 1940s to the 1980s, he argued more First Amendment religion clause cases before the U.S. Supreme Court than anyone else in history. “The thing that attracted me to this topic was Pfeffer’s influence on church-state law,” he said. “I hope that I can convey through this book how relevant his arguments remain to our current debates over the proper role of religion in public life.”