The distinct sound of cowboy boots resounds against the tile floor of the Humanities building hallways, carrying with them a beloved and revered professor of UTM: Dr. David Coffey.
“What’s on your mind today, folks?” he asks as he enters the classroom, preparing for his history lecture.
Coffey is dedicated to his students, a man who is always trying to understand what they are concerned with before teaching. Whether it be about the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, the latest political scandal or even how his eight cats are doing, students can rely on Coffey to be a much-needed outlet to help further their education.
Born in New Mexico, but raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Coffey grew up in a threshold of history. He was drawn to history in his early childhood, learning from his parents who were journalists. Coffey enjoyed looking at pictures, playing with his G.I. Joes and learning everything he possibly could about military history.
“Well Texas is eaten up with history. It’s almost a cult in Texas,” Coffey said. “We grow up with the Alamo, and Davy Crocket, Sam Houston and the whole Texas independence thing. It’s just a bigger-than-life kind of place and history is a big part of it.”
Coffey earned his Ph.D. in History, specifically 19th century U.S. history, military history and Latin American history, from Texas Christian University. However, education wasn’t Coffey’s main ambition when he was growing up.
His first job was working in a department store in Fort Worth, stocking China patterns. However, department stores proved to be a volatile business and he couldn’t keep a job as stores began to close. So Coffey decided to go back to school where he pursued his love of history.
Coffey has since taught military history at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, taught as an Assistant Professor of History at McMurry University, served as managing editor for the McWhiney Foundation Press and finally has taught history at UTM since 2001. He is now the Chair of the History and Philosophy department, a role which he has served in since 2003. Of the many vastly different jobs he has had, Coffey insists that teaching at UTM has been his favorite.
As chair of the department, Coffey has had many rewarding experiences, such as facilitating the efforts of the faculty to better the department.
“We have a really dedicated bunch of people who are always up here working, doing great things. As department chair, I get to see their achievements realized,” Coffey said.
Coffey has also learned many lessons from being chair for the past 15 years. He consistently tries to bring patience, control and compassion in the department, and values his interactions with his students.
Coffey has written five books, edited and contributed to three war encyclopedias, contributed to numerous scholarly journals and serves on many historical boards. His favorite book that he has written has been “Sheridan’s Lieutenants: Phil Sheridan, His Generals, and the Final Year of the Civil War,” which he assigns in his American Military History class. While most of his work is with the Civil War era, he enjoys teaching the Indian Wars the most. His passion for small wars and the leadership that prevails through such engagements, is evident in the classroom.
Dr. Julie Hill, Director of Percussion Studies at UTM, as well as Coffey’s wife of 10 years, is constantly surprised by how much he knows about history, comparing his knowledge of history to Google.
“It’s like living with an encyclopedia… He knows everything. I don’t need my phone, I’ve got David,” Hill said.
Coffee and Hill were married in May of 2008 after meeting at UTM in 2005. Coffey still remembers the first time he saw Hill. Her band “27 B Stroke 6” was the featured band at the 2001 Soybean Festival. He remembers seeing her playing the drums and thinking “the percussion girl was cool.” They later met at UTM when she was hired in 2005.
Even though they are both department chairs on top of being professors, Coffey and Hill make sure to put aside time to be together each day. Whether it’s listening to the Rolling Stones together, taking care of their cats, or planning their next trip to see another national park, Coffey and Hill make the most out of every single day.
In 2009, Coffey was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation before becoming cancer free.
“You just have to take it head on, really. I think it was a learning experience and ultimately a pretty rewarding experience,” Coffey said.
“You get a lot of support in a situation like that. It was very heartwarming. And to know that you can take on something like that and come through it, is valuable.”
In 2013, his cancer returned in his small intestine and he had to have surgery and chemotherapy once again. Coffey has been cancer free for five years now, however, he doesn’t consider himself in remission. “Cancer can always return.”
Hill explained that after his battle with cancer, the pair doesn’t put their life on hold for anything.
“We go for it. We went and saw the Rolling Stones [Coffey’s favorite band] in Las Vegas and flew back that same night. We try to seize the day.”
One way for Coffey and Hill to spend time together is playing in The Ivory Tower of Power, a band they created, which is made up of UTM faculty and staff. The pair wanted a way to express themselves creatively through their music while bringing together people on campus who usually wouldn’t have a way to perform. Coffey plays the harmonica and guitar, as well as sings.
“It’s kind of my alter ego. It’s an escape from my regular life,” said Coffey.
Hill, who started the band, ultimately did it for her husband.
“David really kept saying that he wanted to play in a big band with horns and funky music. I was totally into that. I love him and wanted to help facilitate his creative outlets and that was easy for me to do, so I did it for him.” He is also in another band called The House Band, which he plays in more regularly.
Coffey enjoys spending his time traveling, whether for work or personal goals. He and Hill have visited 30 of the 60 national parks with a little camper that they have put thousands of miles on. The pair keep a map in their house of everywhere they have been, and everywhere they want to go. His favorite historical trip, though, was to Oaxaza, Mexico.
In 2012, Coffey was the recipient of the Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award, the most prestigious award a UTM faculty member can receive. Coffey said it was definitely one of his career highlights. Going from “Outstanding TA” at TCU to “Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar” was something he never focused on.
“I just always wanted to have a job,” Coffey explained.
Even though the recognition was appreciated, Coffey believes seeing his students succeed is the most rewarding part of his career.
“As long as my students think I do a good job, that’s the biggest reward for me.”
(Photo credit: University Relations)
