D. Michael Lindsay
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David Michael Lindsay (born 16 November 1971) is an American sociologist and
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of
Taylor University Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian universities in the country. The university is named after Bishop Willia ...
. He was also president of Gordon College, a private, Evangelical Christian liberal arts college on Boston's North Shore from 2011 to 2021. Before arriving at Gordon, Lindsay was on faculty for five years at
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranked among the top universities ...
and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. He is known as a scholar in the study of
leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
, elites, evangelicalism, and
higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...
.


Early life and family

Michael Lindsay was born in
Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...
,
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, as an only child, and he graduated from
Jackson Preparatory School Jackson Preparatory School (Jackson Prep) is an independent, coeducational, day school enrolling 700 students in grades five through twelve. The school is located in Flowood, Mississippi Flowood is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United S ...
in Jackson in 1990 as a
National Merit Scholar The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a privately funded, not-for-profit organizati ...
, where his mother, Susan Lindsay, is now the head of school."Learn More about the Lindsays"
''www.Gordon.edu'', accessed September 9, 2011.
Along with his mother, Lindsay converted from
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
to Southern Baptist Evangelicalism as a child. His father, Ken Lindsay, was the president of the PGA from 1997 to 1998 and was one of the officials in golf before his retirement in 2008.


Education and career

Lindsay graduated from
Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...
, '' summa cum laude'' and
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
, with a B.A. in English and Speech in 1994. In 2000, Lindsay graduated from
Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...
with a Master of Divinity. He then obtained a postgraduate diploma from
Wycliffe Hall Wycliffe Hall is a Church of England Seminary, theological college and a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is named after the Bible translator and reformer John Wycliffe, who was Master (college), mast ...
at
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
in 2001. Following a period in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, Lindsay enrolled in a doctoral program at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
in
sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
, completing his
Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in 2006. Professionally, Lindsay worked as a consultant for religion and culture for the George H. Gallup International Institute from 1998 to 2003, and following his graduation from Princeton, was hired at
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranked among the top universities ...
as an assistant professor of sociology in 2006. While at Rice, he became a Rice Scholar at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. He held additional appointments with Leadership Rice and the Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life. In 2010, he founded and directed the Program for the Study of Leadership, which sought to create leadership salons - dialogues with senior leaders such as Robert L. Clarke, former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency. Additionally, several undergraduate fellows were selected to participate in this program. Dr. Lindsay also completed his PLATINUM Study of leadership at the end of July 2011. The PLATINUM Study is the world's largest interview-based study of leadership and his subjects included top institutional leaders from the business, government, and non-profit sector. Some participants include:
Jeff Immelt Jeffrey Robert Immelt (born February 19, 1956) is an American business executive currently working as a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates. He previously served as the CEO of General Electric from 2001 to 2017, and the CEO of GE's Medi ...
, CEO of
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
, Edward Whitacre, former CEO of
AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
and former Chairman of General Motors, Tom Daschle, former Senate majority leaders, and
Derek Bok Derek Curtis Bok (born March 22, 1930) is an American lawyer and educator, and the former president of Harvard University. Life and career Bok was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Following his parents' divorce, he, his mother, brother and siste ...
, former president of Harvard. Upon his departure from Rice University, the program evolved into the Gateway Study of Leadership program.


Presidency of Gordon College

On March 28, 2011, Michael Lindsay was announced as the eighth president of Gordon College and began his tenure on July 1 later that year. At age 39, when he assumed his position, Lindsay was the second youngest college president of any college or university nationally then ranked by '' U.S. News & World Report''. When he was announced as the president, Lindsay received support from individuals such as
Mark Noll Mark Allan Noll (born 1946) is an American historian specializing in the history of Christianity in the United States. He holds the position of Research Professor of History at Regent College, having previously been Francis A. McAnaney Professor o ...
, Myron Ullman, and
Neil Clark Warren Neil Clark Warren (born September 18, 1934) is an American clinical psychologist, Christian theologian, seminary professor and co-founder of the online relationship sites eHarmony and Compatible Partners. In 1995, Warren and his son-in-law, ...
. He stated his intention to use his inaugural year to raise awareness about Gordon College around the country. He was inaugurated on September 16, 2011, in a ceremony that featured Nathan Hatch, the president of
Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...
. As part of the inaugural ceremonies, a worship service was performed with
John Ortberg John Ortberg, Jr. (born May 5, 1957) is an American evangelical Christian author, speaker, and the former senior pastor of Menlo Church in Menlo Park, California, an ECO Presbyterian church with more than 4,000 members. Ortberg has published m ...
as the speaker. In his inaugural address, titled "Faithful Leadership for the Common Good," Lindsay set out three principles which he titled "The Gordon Commission": to "stretch the minds" of students, to "deepen the faith", and to "elevate the contribution." On October 21, 2020, Lindsay announced that he would be stepping down as President of Gordon College


Presidency of Taylor University

On March 16, 2021,
Taylor University Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian universities in the country. The university is named after Bishop Willia ...
announced Lindsay as President-Elect of the University. Lindsay was inaugurated as the 18th president of the university on October 8, 2021. During his introductory State of the University and a town hall with students and faculty, Lindsay laid out three priorities that he hoped to focus on: refinancing the university's long-term debt, raising the level of diversity across campus, and making
Taylor University Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian universities in the country. The university is named after Bishop Willia ...
globally minded.


Research

Lindsay's first research projects focused on evangelicals in leadership positions in America, which formed the basis for his dissertation, ''Faith in the Corridors of Power''. The dissertation drew upon over 350 interviews with evangelical leaders in business, government, cultural institutions, and religion. In 2007, the dissertation was published by
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
as ''Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite''."Faith in the Halls of Power: D. Michael Lindsay"
, ''www.oup.com'', accessed September 9, 2011.
''Faith in the Halls of Power'' met with mostly positive critical reviews. It was listed in ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
''s "Best Books of 2007." However,
Alan Wolfe Alan Wolfe (born 1942) is an American political scientist and a sociologist on the faculty of Boston College who serves as director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Fu ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' criticized the work by saying that "too much of the book is uncritical." ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'', by contrast, called it "an impressive and admirably fair-minded book: anybody who wants to understand the nexus between God and power in modern America should start here." '' Christianity Today'' gave it first place among the Christianity and Culture category in their annual book awards. Following the publication of the book, Lindsay began research on senior leaders in general, launching the largest interview-based study of senior American leaders ever done. The PLATINUM study, an acronym for Public Leaders in America Today and the Inquiry into their Networks, Upbringings, and Motivations, aims to look at leaders in corporate, government, and non-profit life. He completed the research in the summer of 2011, having interviewed a total of 550 American leaders. His work has given him interviews with people such as
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
, Colin Powell,
Vernon Jordan Vernon Eulion Jordan Jr. (August 15, 1935 – March 1, 2021) was an American business executive and civil rights attorney who worked for various civil rights movement organizations before becoming a close advisor to President Bill Clinton. Jor ...
, Robert Diamond, and Condoleezza Rice. Overall, Lindsay is the author of 24 scholarly papers, book chapters, and other peer-reviewed articles.D. Michael Lindsay's CV
accessed September 21, 2011.
His work has also been profiled in media outlets ranging from
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
to ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''.Dalrymple, Timothy
"The New 'Game-Changer' President of Gordon College."
''Patheos'', March 27, 2011, accessed September 21, 2011.
He also has written pieced published by ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' and ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''.Lindsay, D. Michael
Michele Bachmann Leads a New Form of Evangelical Feminism
''The Huffington Post'', June 20, 2011, accessed September 21, 2011.
On May 5, 2014, Lindsay, along with co-author M.G. Hagar, published ''View From the Top: An Inside Look at How People in Power See and Shape the World'' based on the work done in the PLATINUM study. In all, Lindsay interviewed 550 of America's top leaders, surpassing "The American Leadership Study", done by a group of researchers at Columbia University, which interviewed 545 people, as the largest-interview based study ever conducted.


Personal life

Lindsay married his wife, Rebecca, in 1996, and is the father of three daughters. Elizabeth was born in 2004, and his twin daughters, Caroline and Emily, were born in 2010. He resides with his family in Muselman House on the campus of
Taylor University Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian universities in the country. The university is named after Bishop Willia ...
in Upland,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.


Honors and awards

*National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow (2002–2006) *First Place, Worldwide Competition for Young Sociologists (2006) *Nicolas Salgo Distinguished Teaching Award, Rice University (2011) *Biggest Doofus Award, Doofus University (2014, 2016, 2017, & 2019)


Selected works

*Gallup, George Jr., and D. Michael Lindsay. ''Surveying the Religious Landscape: Trends in U.S. Belief'' (Morehouse, 2000) *Gallup, George Jr., and D. Michael Lindsay. ''The Gallup Guide: Realty Check for 21st Century Churches'' (Gallup, 2002) *Lindsay, D. Michael. ''Faith in the Halls of Power'' (Oxford, 2007) *Lindsay, D. Michael, and M.G. Hagar. ''View From the Top: An Inside Look at How People in Power See and Shape the World'' (Wiley, 2014)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsay, D. Michael 1971 births Living people American sociologists Baylor University alumni Rice University faculty Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Princeton University alumni Princeton Theological Seminary alumni Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford