10 Stories All Alumni Should Know (but might not)
01: In the Beginning
In the waning days of the Republic of Texas, Baptist leaders felt called to found a Baptist university that would be "susceptible of enlargement and development to meet the demand of all ages to come."
02: That Good Old Baylor Line
The story of how Baylor's school song That Good Old Baylor Line came to be has lots of twists and turns.
03: Men in Bronze
Walking around the Baylor campus, you can't help but notice the larger-than-life statues of two of the University's most important leaders--Rufus C. Burleson and R.E.B. Baylor.
04: The First Homecoming
It's hard to believe now but during its first 63 years, Baylor did not have any formal festivities designed to invite its former students to gather and renew their ties with the University.
05: The Immortal Ten
The greatest tragedy in Baylor history took place on a lonely stretch of road between Waco and Austin, robbing the University of some of its best and brightest students.
06: Breaking Barriers
A young Baylor student-athlete who spent his spare time preaching and writing poetry made history by becoming the first African American to take the field in a Southwest Conference football game.
07: The Carroll Library Fire
At a time when Baylor had no student union or coeducational recreational facility, the F.L. Carroll Chapel and Library was the main place where students met to study and socialize, and it also hosted most of the University’s religious and entertainment events. So when the building caught fire in 1922, it was a blow to campus life.
08: Miracle on the Brazos
While the "Miracle on the Brazos" in 1974 did not require anyone to walk across the surface of that historic river, Baylor's seemingly heaven-sent football championship that year could have sparked a close debate about which of those two amazing events was the more improbable.
09: The Mattie Allen Story
It isn't that surprising when someone who has fond memories of years spent attending a university--or who has children or other relatives with similar memories--chooses one day to give back to that university out of gratitude.
10: Immortal Message of Samuel Palmer Brooks
Born a preacher's son in Georgia, Samuel Palmer Brooks' family moved to Texas when he was 5 years old. Despite financial hardships, the future Baylor president's powerful intellect, love of reading and voracious desire to learn drove him to earn the money needed to enroll at Baylor, where he roomed with another future Baylor president, Pat Neff.