Dr. Donald S.
Frazier

Professor of History

Years at McMurry: 15

Education: M.A., Ph.D. TCU (1992)

When the freshmen rolled out of bed at 8:45 a.m. on Monday morning to head to their first day of History class, the last thing they expected was to be entertained, as well as educated. Led by a professor who spends just as much time asking questions as he does lecturing, students in Dr. Don Frazier’s history classes quickly clear their heads of early morning brain fog to a unique, and often humorous, travel through history.

Dr. Frazier has filled his fifteen years since joining the McMurry faculty with more awards, honors, books and articles than we could possibly begin to list. In addition to teaching, he has made a huge impact on a variety of heritage and cultural tourism projects in Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana, as well as Europe and Mexico. His work includes the development of three museums, two research centers and a Mexican War battlefield; helping Abilene achieve recognition as a Preserve America city; leading efforts to save, develop, and preserve Buffalo Gap Historic Village; and successfully leading an initiative to purchase and revitalize the State House and McWhiney Foundation Presses.

But to the students in his classes, his many accolades don’t matter much. They simply appreciate his warmth, humor, vast knowledge and the one-on-one attention they receive from a professor who deeply cares about their education. Dr. Frazier finds this closeness with students very rewarding and says his favorite part about teaching is “watching the flowering of young minds; the coming into communion with the life of the mind that takes place when students, material and mentors connect.”

It’s this freedom to think that sets Dr. Frazier’s classes apart. The most common phrase in his lectures could be “And why do you think that is?,” encouraging students to think on their own. One student comments, “Every time I attend class I’m exposed to new ideas I’ve never thought about before. Dr. Frazier opens your eyes to parts of history you never learned in high school.”

His hope for his students goes way beyond an understanding of history. When the last day of class ends of their senior year, and the new graduates enter the world, Frazier says “I hope the students have learned fearlessness. I want my kids to never back down from a challenge, to never settle for unchallenged or uninvestigated status quo, and to be willing to adapt and change with the times, confident in their own intellectual prowess to carry them through life.”