David Levy, OU professor and historian for over five decades, died at 88 on Aug. 9 after a long battle with cancer.
Levy earned his bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1959, a master’s degree in History from the University of Chicago in 1961 and doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967 in History, according to his obituary.
Following a short stint as an instructor at Ohio State University, Levy dedicated the rest of his professional life to OU, where he was named a David Ross Boyd Professor in 1987, a Presidential Professor in 1999 and the university’s Rothbaum Professor of History in 2003 before his retirement in 2006, the same year he was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.
Levy is most known for his publications, such as “Breaking Down Barriers: George McLaurin and the Struggle to End Segregated Education” and “Mark Twain: The Divided Mind of America’s Best-loved Writer.”
Levy was commissioned in 1990 by former OU President David Boren to write a three-part history of the university, one of his most notable projects. Levy completed and published two editions of “University of Oklahoma: A History.”
While at OU, Levy chaired OU’s Faculty Senate, was involved in the Honors College since its establishment in 1996 and helped establish OU’s Judaic Studies program in 1997. He also earned the Regent’s Award for Superior Teaching in 1973 and was given OU Student Association’s Award for Outstanding Teacher in the College of Arts and Sciences in 1985.
Levy also served on the Norman Planning Commission, Friends of the Norman Library, American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma board and the board of the YMCA, and regularly contributed to the Sooner Magazine, detailing his most interesting findings in OU’s Western History Collections.
Levy’s work inspired the establishment of the David Levy Prize, a faculty-selected monetary prize honoring the best student work in OU’s U.S. History survey courses. In 2016, Dale Hall Tower’s lobby was named David Levy Lounge in honor of his contributions to the History department.
Long after his retirement in 2006, Levy remained “uncommonly active” in campus life, his obituary states, publishing four more books and continuing to speak with students and civic groups.
Alan Velie, OU professor emeritus and decades-long friend of Levy’s, told OU Daily Thursday that Levy was one of the best educators he encountered at the university, speaking of how students and faculty adored him.
“It's no exaggeration to say that he was probably the best combination of teacher and researcher that I encountered in my 50 years of teaching at OU,” Velie said. “He was a very good friend, very loyal.”
Despite his vast historical knowledge and deep investments in research, Velie said Levy had a great sense of humor and he loved making practical jokes on colleagues, friends and family.
“He had a remarkable sense of humor. He would have been a stand up comic. … His practical jokes on other professors were legendary,” Velie said. “He was a wonderful guy. Very funny guy. On the serious side, he was a wonderful teacher and students loved him.”
OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. wrote in a statement on Instagram Tuesday Levy’s deep knowledge of the university made him a source of wisdom and pride for generations of students, faculty and alumni.
“For more than five decades, Dr. Levy illuminated OU’s history with both scholarly rigor and heartfelt storytelling, helping us understand not just where we’ve been, but who we are,” Harroz wrote. “His legacy will live on in the countless students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he enriched.”
A memorial for Levy will be held later this fall. His family asks that those who wish to honor his memory contribute to the David and Lynne Levy Discretionary History Fund to help support OU history activities and student scholarships.
Levy was preceded by his parents and younger brother, Richard. He is survived by his wife, Lynne; his daughter, Beth; his son, Benjamin; and two grandchildren.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza.
