Historian W. David Baird Publishes History of Churches of Christ in Oklahoma

This month the University of Oklahoma Press publishes *Churches of Christ in Oklahoma: A History* by W. David Baird, Seaver Dean Emeritus and Howard A. White Professor Emeritus of History. Baird earned his master’s degree and PhD at the University of Oklahoma, and the press has published many of his books.

The book begins with an account of the Stone-Campbell movement in the early 1800s and follows the development of Oklahoma’s Churches of Christ through the 20th century, a period in which the churches developed a unique identity. Baird explores their role in the two world wars, how their membership grew, and how that membership began to decline in the 1970s. Telling that story to later readers also reflects the value of passing the faith on to the next generation (Psalm 78:4).

Baird also discusses the churches’ outreach efforts and whether they will be able to grow in the future. He wrote the book in part to share his belief that Churches of Christ, especially in Oklahoma, need to be aware of and celebrate their identity as a unique community of faith in order to thrive in the 21st century. “You cannot blend into the mass and expect to grow,” he says.

Baird applies the same idea to higher education. “The historical record makes clear that retention of Christian mission requires more than a generic commitment to it.” He says Pepperdine “needs to be in the business of celebrating its Church of Christ roots, among the students it reaches, the faculty it appoints, the staff it selects, and the services it provides.”

A native of Edmond, Oklahoma, Baird earned an AA degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC, a BA in history and geography from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, and an MA and PhD in history and geography from the University of Oklahoma in Norman. He served on the history faculty at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville from 1968 to 1978 and at Oklahoma State University from 1978 to 1988. In 1988 he joined the faculty of Pepperdine’s Seaver College as the Howard A. White Professor of History, and he served as dean of Seaver College from 1998 until 2008.

Baird’s scholarly interests center on the history of the American West, especially the history of Native Americans. His notable books include a biography of Peter Pitchlynn, a history of the Quapaw Indians, and a history of the state of Oklahoma written with Danney Goble. He is also the author of *Quest for Distinction: Pepperdine University in the 20th Century*, which traces the university’s history from its founding as a small faith-based college in 1937 to its emergence as a top-tier university at the turn of the century.

Baird has served as national president of the Western History Association and of the history honor society Phi Alpha Theta, and as executive director of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association. As an undergraduate, he worked full-time on the staff of John Jarman, Member of the House of Representatives, 5th Congressional District, Oklahoma.

Further information about the book is available on the University of Oklahoma Press website.

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