David B. Burks (born May 13, 1943) is an American academic and businessman. He was the fourth President of

Harding University Harding University is a private university with its main campus in Searcy, Arkansas. It is the largest private university in Arkansas. Established in 1924, the institution offers undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional programs. The uni ...

Searcy, Arkansas Searcy ( ) is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 23,767. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area ...

from 1987 to 2013, after which he became the institution's second chancellor. Burks was the dean of the university's School of Business from 1977 until becoming president. Beginning in late 2020, Burks served as Harding's interim president while a committee searched for former President Bruce McLarty's permanent successor. He was replaced by Mike Williams in June 2022.

Early life and career

Burks was born on May 13, 1943, in Ava, Missouri and grew up in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Enrolling at Harding College in 1961, Burks only planned to stay for a single year. His professors eventually convinced him to remain the school; as a senior, he served as president of the Student Association. After graduating in 1965, Burks married Leah Ann Gentry. Burks briefly worked for

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before returning to Harding in 1967 to serve as the Director of Placement and to teach business. He eventually received an MBA from the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

and a

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from

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

. In 1974, Burks was appointed the dean of Harding's School of Business. As a professor and dean, he received the university's Distinguished Teacher Award in both 1974 and 1986.

Presidency (1987-2013)

The Board of Trustees designated Burks as then-President of Harding Clifton Ganus's successor in May 1986.''Petit Jean'' (Harding University, 1986-1987 edition; pg. 164) After beginning the role in May 1987, Burks was officially inaugurated as President of Harding University on September 18, 1987. On October 28, 2011, Burks announced that he would retire as president following the 2012–2013 school year. John Simmons, chairman of the Board of Trustees, led the committee to find Burks' successor, who was announced to be Bruce McLarty on November 1, 2012. McLarty took over the presidency on June 1, 2013. At this time, Burks became Chancellor, replacing Ganus. In November 2020, McLarty was removed as president and Burks took his place on an interim basis. On October 27, 2021, Harding's Board of Trustees announced that McLarty's permanent successor would be Michael D. Williams, who has served as president of

Faulkner University Faulkner University is a private Christian university in Montgomery, Alabama. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. History The university was founded in 1942 by Dr. Rex Turner, Dr. Leonard Johnson and Joe Greer as Montgomery Bible Sch ...

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

since 2015. Burks' term as interim president ended on June 1, 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burks, David Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Harding University people Academics from Arkansas 1943 births Living people American members of the Churches of Christ University of Texas alumni Florida State University alumni