Following a national search, Samford University’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences has selected David Holcomb, PhD as the new chair of the Department of Political Science, effective August 2025.

Holcomb will join Samford from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, where he taught for 23 years in the Department of History and Political Science. A seasoned educator and administrator, Holcomb also directed the university’s honors program for 15 years and was the founding coordinator of its semester-long study abroad program in London.

“I had reached a stage in my career where I was looking for a new challenge,” Holcomb said. “Samford’s rich history, academic reputation and the strength of the political science department were a major draw. I’m excited to work with a flourishing program and outstanding faculty."

Holcomb holds a bachelor’s degree from William Jewell College and a PhD from Baylor University. His teaching interests include religion and politics, constitutional law, political theory and the American presidency. His research centers on church-state relations, and his publications include the book Guardian of the Wall: Leo Pfeffer and the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment, along with articles in the Journal of Law and Religion and the Journal of Church and State.

In his new role, Holcomb aims to cultivate a shared vision with his colleagues that embraces both academic rigor and ethical formation. “The work of political science, especially at a Christian university, is as important as ever,” he said. “My hope is that we will continue to prepare graduates who are not only wise and discerning public servants but who also do justice and love mercy.”

Holcomb and his wife, Carol Crawford Holcomb, PhD, a professor in the College of Christian Studies at Mary Hardin-Baylor, have three adult sons. Outside the classroom, he enjoys traveling, playing tennis and singing in his church choir.