Elizabethtown College English Department

David Downing, professor of English, treasures the camaraderie he has built with his current and former students. “When the English department has a senior banquet, I like to be surrounded by students. Teaching and hanging out with young people helps you hold onto the young person inside of you,” he said.

And now, he has decided to say goodbye.

After more than 20 years at Elizabethtown College, Downing, R.W. Schlosser professor of English, is leaving to become the co-director of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College outside of Chicago. His wife Crystal Downing is also leaving her position as distinguished professor of English and film studies at Messiah College to co-direct the Wade Center.

Taking Up His New Post

At first, this decision did not seem to be in the cards for Downing. He said, “I’ve you asked me a year ago how was I going to finish up my career, I would have said, ‘I’m just going to stay at E-town.”

The Marion E. Wade Center is devoted to the exhibition, preservation and education of seven British Christian writers, their works and other scholarly texts. These authors include C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

As the co-directors of the center, Downing and his wife will each be teaching upper-division students in one course per year on Lewis, Tolkien and others. He commented that these classes will resemble honors project courses and will entail one-on-one or small group interactions.

Downing will be attending auctions in London and New York to contribute to the Marion E. Wade Center’s ever-expanding collection. Downing said, “I’m afraid I’m going to scratch my ear and accidentally buy something for $50,000.”

The Serendipity of Finding a Home at E-town

When he first moved to Pennsylvania, Downing taught at Franklin & Marshall College. During his commute to Lancaster, he dropped by Wenger and introduced himself.  Shortly after that, he was hired.

Downing recounted that he was a perfect fit when he started in 1995. E-town needed someone to teach business writing, English 100-level courses and American literature. “I’ve been very lucky in my timing,” he said.

A Time for Reflection

Downing values E-town’s “balance of liberal arts and career preparation.” He remarked that students “get a good foundation in critical thinking, communication and practical knowledge.”

As an example, he said, “I had one student write me and say, ‘I’ve only been on this job for a year and a half, and I’ve done every single project we did in business writing.”

Downing said he loves when a student, quiet in class, impresses him with a piece of writing. “That’s always exciting to see someone who’s really got a lot of natural talent for writing,” he said.

Downing appreciates students who can teach him something new or who converse with him after class. He also enjoys the welcoming atmosphere of E-town.

Downing credits E-town with giving him the opportunity to establish himself as a national and internationally-known scholar of C.S. Lewis studies. He has published works that include 2010’s “Looking for the King: An Inklings Novel.”

Junior English major Marisa Kopp appreciates Downing’s assistance with juggling her status as a double major and his ability to find teaching moments in every conversation. “He gave me the entire lineage of my last name at our first meeting. That was cool,” she said.

Looking Down the Road

Downing hopes to finish a book he’s writing about C.S. Lewis and T.S. Eliot.  Moving to a new state will bring new hobbies as well since the Downing’s new house is the historic fixer-upper Crystal Downing has always wanted.

All the best to David and Crystal Downing, and thank you, Dr. Downing, for all your contributions to E-town.

Author Bio:

Andrew Hrip is a senior at Elizabethtown College. He is majoring in English-Professional Writing and minoring in Film Studies. He writes film reviews for E-town’s school newspaper, The Etownian. He hopes to write film reviews/entertainment news for a reputable publication.