Dave Dougherty was born during the Great Depression and enjoyed an almost itinerant childhood across the United States. He earned a Master of Engineering in Metallurgical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines, an MBA from Case Western University and became a double ABD from Case Western and the University of Maryland. Dave served in Army Intelligence from 1961 to 1966, and since that time has been mainly a college professor and entrepreneur, owning a number of businesses in engineering, computer systems, retailing, consulting and ranching. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas, and has received a number of honors due to accomplishments in engineering and computing and has been listed in 'Who's Who in the World' since 1987.

More recently, he teamed up with Larry Schweikart to produce A Patriot's Reader: Essential Documents for Every American, A Patriot's History of the Modern World, Vol. I, due out October 11, and was responsible for the scholarly proofing of A Patriot's History of the United States, 2nd Ed. Throughout his life Dave's primary avocation has been history from pre-historic times to the present. His private library consists of over 8,000 books, almost all on history or religion, and he is a frequent speaker on the Constitution, history, preparedness, and current events.