On March 30, the department of music will host a commemorative concert in honor of Dr. David Belcher, former dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

Missouri State faculty from a wide range of disciplines are scheduled to perform.

About David Belcher

David Orr Belcher, former dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Missouri State University, died Sunday, June 17, 2018 at the age of 60 of a glioblastoma brain tumor.

A native of Barnwell, SC, David held degrees in piano performance from Furman University, the University of Michigan, and the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester.

David began his career in higher education at MSU (1988-2003), first as coordinator of keyboard studies in the Music Department, then as both assistant dean and dean of the College of Arts and Letters. For several years, he was a member of MSU’s resident Hawthorn Trio and was the founding director of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, a three-week, intensive program of study for some of Missouri’s most talented high school arts students.

After leaving MSU, David held the post of provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, AR (2003-2011). He culminated his academic career as chancellor of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. (2011-2018)

A champion of public service, David served on a variety of key Boards of Directors, including the My Future NC Commission on state educational attainment and the NCAA Division 1 board on intercollegiate athletics. Always an advocate of the arts, he served as Chair of the Little Rock Arts and Culture Commission and on the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. While in Missouri, he served as president of the boards of directors of the Springfield Regional Opera and the Springfield Area Arts Council and was a member of the boards of directors or steering committees of the National Conference of Governors’ Schools, Missouri Citizens for the Arts, the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education, and the Urban Districts Alliance. He was a member of the 1997 Class of Leadership Missouri and the 1999 recipient of the Ozzie Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the arts in Springfield, Missouri.

David was a passionate and committed believer in the power of education. His message, “We are in the business of changing lives,” became both an inspiration and a challenge to those sharing his commitment. Many remember his infectious laugh, quick wit, and energetic leadership style as well as his love of travel, gardening and good joke.

Surviving David is his wife of fourteen years, Susan Brummell Belcher.