Parker Society established to nurture humanities research and scholarship

David Holmes, former dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, is now serving as the first director of the Parker Society.

By Janel Shoun-Smith | 615-966-7078  |  08/04/2025

When David Holmes came to Lipscomb in 2020 to take on the role of the dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, he came with a goal to balance the three academic areas encompassed within the college: natural science, social science and the humanities.

Seeing the success of Lipscomb’s J.S. Ward Society, an alumni and donor affinity group established in 2014 that focuses on aiding students targeting careers in the health sciences, Holmes is now hoping to build on that success by establishing an equivalent group to aid students headed for careers in the humanities.

The John Parker Humanities Society will nurture academic and spiritual growth for students in English, history and philosophy by offering resources for research, mentorship and personal development, thus creating an enriched environment for intellectual exploration, preparing students for various career paths. 

Holmes, who is stepping down as dean to join the faculty this fall, serves as director of the Parker Society, with hopes of launching the society this fall and to be able to provide students monetary awards by the spring of 2026.

“The society aspires to form a vibrant community of scholars, alumni and faculty with commitment to humanities students,” said Holmes.

Just as the Ward Society pairs students with alumni practicing in the health sciences, plans for the Parker Society include engaging students with humanities professionals and alumni mentors, a group that could span far beyond academicians to businesspeople, lawyers, political operatives and civic leaders, said Holmes.

“The society will celebrate those who set the pace for us today, while also celebrating our students,” said Holmes.

The Parker Society will likely begin with awards to students for excellent academic scholarship considered worthy of honorable mention, which could include non-fiction historical research, a term paper, essays or fictional short stories and poems, among other works, said Holmes.

Fellowships for students to conduct on-campus summer research one-on-one with Lipscomb faculty will likely also be among the first offerings, said Holmes. But eventually, he hopes to offer summer humanities research fellowships throughout the community and to host an annual Heroes of the Humanities Award Banquet, bringing alumni, faculty, supporters and students together to celebrate outstanding contributions in the humanities community.

The society’s name honors the late Parker (BA ’68), a Lipscomb English professor from 1982 until his retirement in 2013. He taught courses on Shakespeare, British and American Literature, and English composition and grammar. Parker also taught Bible courses, served as faculty in Lipscomb’s study abroad programs in Vienna and London and served as advisor for the Backlog, the annual yearbook, and the student newspaper, the Babbler.
Parker penned numerous articles published in the Gospel Advocate and authored or co-authored the books: Bound and Loosed, Fundamentals of the Christian System (2003), Abide with Me: A Photographic Journey through Great British Hymns (2010) and The Gospel According to Shakespeare: 40 Inspiring Devotionals from the Bible and the Bard (2023).

“The society will significantly enhance the educational experience for humanities students at Lipscomb. By celebrating Professor Parker’s legacy, it will embody his dedication to teaching and highlight the transformative potential of the humanities,” said Holmes. “It complements the university's mission by promoting empathy, critical thinking and effective analysis through a rigorous Christian liberal arts education.”