Dr. Dan C. West (Image via Dignity Memorial)
Dr. Dan C. West, the former president who steered Lyon College—then Arkansas College—through nearly two decades of physical and academic transformation, died peacefully on March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. He was 86.
West served as president of the Batesville institution from 1972 to 1988. His tenure began with a trial by fire—or rather, by wind—when a tornado devastated the campus just one week after his inauguration. Under his leadership, the college was back in operation within four days, setting a tone of resilience that would define his sixteen-year administration.
Beyond disaster recovery, West’s impact is still felt on the Batesville campus today. He oversaw the creation of the Lyon Business and Economics Building, the Nichols International Studies Program, and the college’s iconic Scottish Heritage Program.
“What is important is that a small college which has been of vital importance… first survived and then grew stronger and better than any time in its history,” West wrote in his 2018 memoir, Causeway to a Bigger World.
Born in Galveston, Texas, in 1939, West’s path to academia was unconventional. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy for three years before resigning his commission to pursue ministry. He eventually earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Education from Harvard University.
Before coming to Batesville, West served as a Presbyterian minister in Tennessee. Following his departure from Arkansas, he held leadership roles at Carroll College, Union College, Swarthmore College, and Agnes Scott College.
In his memoir, West recalled his time in Batesville as the “hardest work” he had ever done, but also the “most satisfying.” His tenure was even marked by a narrow escape when a plane he was traveling in was forced to make an emergency landing on a highway; true to his reputation for dedication, he still made it to his meeting in Batesville on time.
West is survived by his wife of nearly 63 years, Sidney Claire Childs West, two children, and two grandchildren. To read his full obituary, click here.
A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at 11 a.m. on April 10, 2026, at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.
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