1930s - 2010s
1930s-50s
1930-40s
Dana Hampton Bagot established the Daniel Emory Hampton, MD, Endowed Scholarship Fund in memory of her father Daniel Emory Hampton, BS ’32, MD, for students in the Baylor2Baylor Medical Program.
1950s
Patricia “Patsy” Davis, BA ’52, and her husband Norman Davis, ABC ’88, were named 2020 Lamar County [TX] Historical Commission History Maker of the Year, an award co-sponsored by the Lamar County Commissioners Court. The couple were honored for nearly 70 years of volunteerism in local service clubs, youth athletics, historical groups, church activities and patriotic events.
Charles Whiteside and Jo Ann Whiteside, BA ’55, established the Whiteside Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students from Kilgore, TX. Their daughter Nancy Brickhouse, BA ’82, PhD, has been Baylor provost since 2019.
Robert L. Flynn, BA ’54, MA ’57, will be included by Routledge in their Europa Biographical Reference Series, International Who’s Who. Contact at rflynn@earthlink.net.
Thomas J. Wedel, BS ’59, retired after a long aviation career that started in the U.S. Air Force ROTC, followed by seven years on active duty flying tankers. He spent the next 30 years flying for United Airlines. Wedel spends his time restoring presettlement prairie and savanna flora on his 400-acre former dairy farm in southwest Wisconsin. Contact at tommneva@sbcglobal.net.
Rev. Allen C. Liles, BA ’59, former editor of The Lariat, published two New Testament commentary books: John 14 and Ephesians 6. The books are written and designed to encourage Bible reading and understanding of God’s holy word. More information is available at classicbiblechapters.com. Contact at reval@aol.com.
1960s
Robert A. Kittrell, BA ’60, published his first novel, Sundown Over Texas, in February 2018. This western thriller is about a Confederate officer returning home and the son of a prominent rancher near Gainesville who finds himself, as a Texas Ranger, involved with robbers, renegades and the ruthless Bart Slater Gang, which he brings to justice. The book is available via Amazon, Covenant Books and Barnes & Noble.
Tom Powers, BBA ’60, and Pat Powers, BBA ’62, established the Tom and Pat Powers Family Endowed Fund for Baylor Business Fellows to enrich experiences for students participating in this program. They have remained heavily involved in the Baylor community and serve on the Give Light National Campaign Steering Committee.
Douglas P. Hammett, BA ’61, authored a website, Declaring His Truth, which can be found at sites.google.com/view/declaringhistruth/home. The central theme of the newly redesigned website is to help all people of the world in all nations to understand that the only perfect truth comes from knowing Jesus Christ as the only son of the living God. More content to come later this year.
Linda Forbes Mastin, BA ’61, established the Dr. William Hulitt Gloer Endowed Scholarship Fund in Truett Seminary to honor of William Hulitt Gloer, BA ’72, PhD, a longtime George W. Truett Theological Seminary faculty member. Linda and her late husband Robert Mastin, BS ’62, have been avid Baylor supporters throughout the years.
The Colonel Nickey McCasland Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nursing was established by Col. Nickey McCasland, BSN ’64, MHA ’72, to support Baylor nursing students.
Preston Kirk, BA ’68, and Ronda Kirk, BA ’68, established the Preston and Ronda Kirk Endowed Fund in Journalism, Public Relations and New Media. The Kirks are members of the Old Main Society and the Judge R.E.B. Baylor Society at the leadership level.
Charles “Chuck” Allen, BS ’68, MS ’69, authored his 19th published book. During his time at Baylor, Allen was a graduate assistant football coach and graduate assistant in the history department. This latest novel features his 32 years of coaching and officiating, and former Baylor Football head coach Grant Teaff is certainly in it. Allen officiated Dallas Cowboys practices between 1992 and 1996, during which time the franchise won three Super Bowls. Allen’s football experience shows in the book’s 24 chapters.
Joe Edward Ratliff, BBA ’68, and Margaret Ruth “Maggie” Lee Ratliff, BBA ’69, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2020 with a private party at their home in Arlington, TX. They will continue to celebrate with an anniversary cruise to Alaska in 2022. They were married Aug. 15, 1970, in Three Rivers, TX. Each earned an MBA in accounting from the University of North Texas in 1972. At Baylor, Joe was in Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa and Alpha Kappa Psi. He was a four-year letterwinner and captain in track and field. Joe set Baylor records in the 330-yard and 440-yard intermediate hurdles, in which he was a three-time runner-up and all-conference honoree (1966-68). As a CPA, Joe’s career led him to Arthur Andersen LLP; Trammell Crow Residential Companies, where he was a founding partner; JPI, a national real estate development company; and then into practice consulting in his own CPA firm. He is now retired. Maggie was in Delta Alpha Phi (Kappa Alpha Theta), Beta Alpha Psi, and Theta Chi at Baylor. As a senior, she was voted secretary of the Hankamer School of Business and one of Laurel Societies’ 12 outstanding senior women. Maggie’s CPA career started at Arthur Andersen. She later taught at Dallas Baptist College before retiring to raise her children, all of whom are Baylor graduates: Jenni Lee Ratliff Burnfield, BBA ’95, Joe Robert Ratliff, BBA, ’00, and Steven Edward Ratliff, BBA ’04. Joe and Maggie are members of Lamar Baptist Church in Arlington, where they are active in the lives of their children and eight grandchildren.
1970s
Don Heathcott, BBA ’70, and Charlotte Heathcott, BSEd ’74, established the Don and Charlotte Heathcott Endowed Scholarship Fund in Truett Seminary to support seminary students who are preparing for a career in sports ministry.
Tom Hill, MHA ’73, and Mary Hill, ABC ’99, established the Tom and Mary Hill Endowed Scholarship Fund in Truett Seminary.
Joseph S. Florence, BS ’76, and Tina Florence, BS ’76, established the Mary Shelton Florence Endowed Fund for Armstrong Browning Library in memory of Joseph’s mother Mary Shelton Florence, BA ’43.
Amy Brees, BS ’79, and Chip Brees established the Reid Brees Endowed Fund in Baseball in honor of their son Reid Brees, BBA ’05. Reid started his Baylor Baseball career as a walk-on in 2001 and ended as a starter for the Bears’ 2005 College World Series team. The fund was created to honor Reid’s achievements and support the baseball program.
1980s
Independent Financial established the Jan Criswell Webb Endowed Scholarship Fund, part of the Hord Challenge Program, in honor of the years of service that Jan Webb, BBA ’80, gave to Independent Bank.
Roland Garcia, BBA ’81, was named a 2020 Super Lawyer in Texas by independent research and peer review. He was also lead counsel in a complex jury trial that was selected for inclusion in the Texas Lawyer’s Hall of Fame as one of the highest grossing verdicts in Texas from 2004 to 2018. The jury verdict and $15.7 million judgment was also named a Texas Monthly Top 20 Verdict in 2018 the No. 2 verdict for all contract cases. The two-week jury trial included 19 witnesses, 10 experts, thousands of exhibits and millions of documents. Contact at garciar@gtlaw.com.
Martin Shields, BS ’81, MS ’84, of the Martin and Arlyn Shields Family Foundation established the Angel Resources Endowed Scholarship Fund in Graduate Geosciences to award scholarships to students pursuing geosciences degrees.
Jeffrey W. Black, BBA ’85, retired in January after a 35-year career in information technology. He served H-E-B Grocery Company LP in San Antonio for 27 years, Computer Power Group in Houston for three years and General Dynamics in Fort Worth for five years. He led teams and developed and supported many applications.
John Kennedy, BBA ’86, and Shara Kennedy, BA ’85, created the E.L. Fisher Endowed Scholarship Fund in honor of Shara’s father Elmer Lee Fisher, BA ’51, who was a professor in the classics department. This scholarship benefits students in the classics department of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Melissa Melosh, BMEd ’88, established the Melissa Dugan Melosh First-Generation Endowed Music Scholarship Fund. This scholarship supports first-generation students who are pursuing a degree in music education.
Julie Renae Smith Prause, BA ’88, was appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to the governing board of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Prause is an itinerant service provider and has traveled the roads of rural southeast Texas, teaching blind and visually impaired students for more than three decades. Contact at julprause@hotmail.com.
Scott Wilson, BBA ’89, celebrated his engagement to Amy Jo Secker in September 2020 with a trip to San Luis Obispo, CA, to pick up Teddy, an Australian labradoodle and an engagement gift to their kids. Wilson is managing director for the strategy and transformation practice at Sparkhound LLC, a digital consulting firm. In spring 2020, he had a chapter published as a part of the anthology Soulful Prayers, Volume 2: The Power of Intentional Communication with God. This fall, Wilson will join his good friend Ervin Lee as guest and occasional cohost of From Beer to the Bible on The Word 100.7 (KWRD-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth), a part of the Salem Media Group, as a part of their work through Hampton Ministries. Contact at wscottwilson@gmail.com.
1990s
Ben Renberg, BA ’91, MBA ’03, is president of the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, a role he began Feb. 1. Renberg previously was senior associate vice president of alumni affairs and development at Cornell University. Before joining Cornell in 2016, Renberg was associate vice president for development at Rice University and previously served as assistant dean of external relations for the university’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. He also spent time as a partner with Dini Partners, a consulting firm specializing in nonprofits; associate vice president for university development at Baylor; and director of development at Baylor College of Medicine. Renberg and his wife April Hoelscher Renberg, BA ’91, are happy to be back in the Lone Star State.
Stephanie M. McMahon, BM ’91, received the 2020 NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal for exceptional leadership in creating an educational destination for people of all abilities to experience the wonder of human space exploration.
Gilbert Adams III, BA ’92, JD ’94, established the Gilbert T. Adams III Endowed Scholarship in Law to support deserving Baylor Law students.
Perry E. Brown, MBA ’92, joined Arvest Bank in northeastern Oklahoma as a senior vice president - trust specialist, managing the firm’s estate administration and settlement activities. He holds FINRA securities licenses and the CFP(R) and CTFA industry certifications. Contact at pilgrim1776@protonmail.com.
Christopher B. Trowbridge, BBA ’95, managing partner for Bell Nunnally, is featured in the 2021 edition of The Dallas 500, a signature publication from D CEO that recognizes the most powerful business leaders in North Texas. He is listed in the category of Law - Business and IP Litigation and is one of six individuals selected for this category, part of a larger roundup featuring 500 North Texas business leaders across 56 categories.
Adrian Escalante Jr., BBA ’96, established the Adrian Escalante Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund in Business. The scholarship assists deserving Hankamer School of Business students.
Tara Flannery, BBA ’98, of Houston’s Tara Flannery Photography LLC, earned the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Photographic Craftsman degree, presented by PPA President Gregory Daniel at the association’s annual convention, Imaging USA, in January. The degree signifies that Flannery has met the PPA standards of excellence recognizes her service to the photographic profession as an orator, author, and mentor. She was one of 40 recipients this year. Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) specializing in family and senior portraits and business headshots.
2000-10s
Gabrielle Madison, BBA ’00, was named to the 2021 edition of The Dallas 500, a signature publication from D CEO that recognizes the most powerful business leaders in North Texas. Madison and the other recipients were recognized as the next-generation leaders who are taking Dallas-Fort Worth into the future. She was also selected to be on the publication’s cover. Madison is director of community relations for Thomas Reuters and resides in Frisco, TX, with her husband and their two children.
Mackenzie Wallace, BBA ’07, MTAX ’07, JD ’11, joined the Dallas office of Thompson Coburn LLP as a partner. She previously was a partner at Thompson & Knight LLP. Wallace is an experienced trial attorney who represents healthcare entities and other businesses and directors in high-stakes litigation. She has an extensive track record representing hospitals and healthcare providers in coverage and reimbursement disputes, fraud and civil RICO matters, and government investigations. Wallace additionally advises hospitals and healthcare entities on a full range of legal and operational issues affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work on reimbursement and coverage issues has helped hospitals preserve their revenue streams and ensure they can provide uninterrupted care during the ongoing public health emergency. She also represents corporations and directors in various industries on shareholder and securities litigation, corporate and shareholder rights, director and officer litigation, merger litigation and white-collar criminal litigation. Wallace has helped clients navigate class actions alleging breaches of fiduciary duty and securities fraud and advised companies and individual directors facing Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations. She has also represented receivers in multiple SEC receivership actions. A lifelong Texan, Wallace is from a proud family of lawyers, including her father and two sisters.
2010s
Clara Dutton Griffey, BFA ’10, BS ’12, received her DDS degree in 2019 from Texas A&M Health Science Center, previously known as Baylor College of Dentistry. This was a big accomplishment for Griffey, who started dental school with a 14-month-old, Pinson, and had her second child, Rollie, midway through. Her husband Matthew Griffey, BS ’10, has been supportive and along for the ride since 2012. Clara recently took over a dental practice in Waco. Contact at clara.griffey.dds@gmail.com.
Julie Ooms, PhD ’14, was one of 100 St. Louis-area educators to receive Emerson’s Excellence in Teaching awards, which pay tribute to area educators from kindergarten teachers to college professors for their achievements and dedication to the field of education.
Dr. Jonathan D. Tijerina, BS ’14, MA ’15, was a cross country and track athlete for five years at Baylor. He was cross country team captain, a member of the Big 12 Athletic Leadership Council and a 2014 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete. Tijerina is in residency in Miami.
Guy and Stephanie Short established the Guy Short Family Endowed Fund for Spiritual Life and Baptist Student Ministries to support campus ministries and the cultivation of Baylor students’ spiritual life. Their son is Collin Short, BBA ’20.
Russell and Debbie Phillips established the Russ and Debbie Phillips Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports Honors College students who are participating in the Baylor in Washington program. The Phillips’ son Scott Philips is a member of Baylor’s Class of 2022.