Crist grad­u­at­ed from Ohio North­ern Un­i­ver­si­ty in 1882, and taught school in Co­lum­bi­a­na and Stark Coun­ty, Ohio, for 14 years. He be­came su­per­in­tend­ent of the Os­na­burg grade school in 1880, and for three years was su­per­in­tend­ent at New Frank­lin. In 1901, he was elect­ed to the Ohio state le­gis­la­ture, and be­came a state sen­a­tor in 1905.

Crist was com­pos­ing as ear­ly as 1888, and at least through 1910, when he scored the Flow­er Girl Waltz. He worked for 30 years as a suc­cess­ful mu­sic pub­lish­er, start­ing in Moul­trie, Ohio, then in 1915 mov­ing to Al­li­ance, Ohio (where he be­came pre­si­dent of the Peo­ples Bank of Al­li­ance). His works in­clude:

• The Ev­er­green Waltz
• Gospel Glean­ings, 1886
• Victory of Song (Moul­trie, Ohio: D. W. Crist, 1892)

1. Beautiful Robe and Crown
2. Building for Eter­ni­ty
3. Lamps Trimmed and Burn­ing
4. Newfoundland