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Davis & Elkins College Administration
The Board of Trustees of Davis & Elkins College has entrusted the President of the College with the responsibility and authority to develop and supervise the operation of the College. President Buck Smith and the College officers provide day-to-day management of the College and work closely with faculty, staff and Trustee Committees to fulfill the College's mission.
President G.T. "Buck" Smith
Dr.Buck Smith assumed his duties as the 13th president of Davis & Elkins College on July 1, 2008. A national leader in higher education, President Smith is a former president of Bethany College (WV) and Chapman University (CA).
A graduate of The College of Wooster and Cornell University, President Smith began his professional career in higher education at Cornell. Two years later he returned to Wooster, serving there for 15 years before he was named President of Chapman University. After 11 years of service at Chapman, he was honored with a lifetime appointment as President Emeritus.
His years at Chapman were marked by a renewal of the University's spiritual and intellectual life, as well as a greatly enhanced financial position and significant expansion of enrollment. Smith Hall on the Chapman campus stands as a continuing expression of the University's gratitude for his and his wife, Joni's, leadership.
Joni Smith is a very active partner in her husband's career. A former social worker with the YWCA, her community involvements have included the League of Women Voters, Interfaith Housing Commission, United Nations Observance Day, and Hospice Care.
During the 1990s, President Smith served as counsel to several colleges and universities throughout the country, including Davis & Elkins. During 2001-2003, he was Executive Director of Talaris Research Institute in Seattle, a philanthropy devoted to advancing knowledge of early brain development.
Recognized in Who's Who in America for more than 25 years, President Smith received the honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Bethany College, the CASE Steuben Apple Award for distinguished teaching, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from The College of Wooster, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Faith and Reason Award. He and Joni are life-long members of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Reflecting their strong global interest and engagement, the Smiths have devoted their energies toward helping strengthen the management of non-profit organizations both nationally and internationally. Significant among the latter is EduCongo, an enterprise they helped launch to provide educational opportunities for orphans of the civil wars and AIDS epidemic in Africa.
The Smiths have two adult children, four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and a Siberian Husky named Holly.
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