Brief Biography:‍

Davis C. Smith grew up in various locations around the North Star State and was classically homeschooled for the majority of his educational journey. This exposure to the glories of the Great Conversation inspired a passion for sharing this education with the next generation. In 2024, he received his B.A. in Liberal Arts with emphases in English, Philosophy, and Music.

Research Interests:

‍I am interested in the intersection of theology with all of the humanities in conversation with the true, the good, and the beautiful—especially the arts. Some areas of particular interest include medieval worldviews, English Renaissance literature, the Romantic period, musical aesthetics, classical conservatism, and literary criticism. Particular thinkers who inspire me include Augustine, Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, Edmund Burke, Søren Kierkegaard, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and T.S. Eliot.

Recent Professional Developments:

‍In July 2024, I delivered a paper at the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education Conference entitled "The Light of Faith in Sound: J.S. Bach and the Lutheran Mind." I will also be speaking on education in the Reformation at the “Lutheranism and the Classics” conference in October 2025. In addition, I have had articles published by the online magazines The Conservative Reformer, Voegelin View, and the Circe Institute.

Post-Graduation Plans:

‍I plan to pursue a PhD in Literature or Classical Education and teach at the college level, publishing routinely and contributing in whatever capacities I can to classical humanities scholarship.

Extracurricular Academic Activities:

‍This semester, I am singing in the Hillsdale Arts Chorale, and next semester, I plan to sing in the college's complete performance of Handel's Messiah.

What Has Been the Thing You’ve Appreciated Most About Your Time Here?

‍The academic community at Hillsdale is simply one of the finest in the nation. In an age when so many private colleges are cutting their humanities programs and focusing only on pragmatic matters, it is a delight to study at an institution where what Russell Kirk called the "permanent things" are valued. The faculty and students here know that we are inheritors of an incredibly rich and vibrant tradition that must be safeguarded. Only by cherishing the past can we cultivate human flourishing. I am incredibly grateful to have daily interactions with people who understand the blessings of the active-contemplative life.

What Is Distinctive About Hillsdale’s Graduate School of Classical Education?

‍Most graduate programs are highly specialized, but MACE has been a dream come true for the "compulsive generalist" in me. This curriculum requires you to assimilate history, philosophy, theology, literature, language, pedagogical theory, and the arts of the Trivium and Quadrivium. No inquiry is off limits. Anyone who knows they would like to pursue a career in teaching or academia but is struggling to pinpoint a specific area in which they'd like to specialize would be an ideal fit for MACE. You are exposed to the Western heritage in all its breadth and variety.

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