Inaugurating Baylor's 15th President

Following the excitement of Homecoming, the University continued the family celebration through Oct. 24-26 with events marking the inauguration and installation of Linda A. Livingstone, PhD, as Baylor’s 15th president. 

Traditional and non-traditional events filled the schedule. 

Livingstone, who took office June 1, greeted more than 2,500 students, faculty and staff during the Oct. 24 traditional Dr Pepper Hour in Bill Daniel Student Center’s Barfield Drawing Room. Participants received commemorative cups to mark the occasion. 

Later that day, Livingstone and her husband Brad, also known as the First Gentleman, made it a point to include students in the celebration. They welcomed more than 4,000 students for a family dinner at Allbritton House, the traditional campus home of Baylor presidents since 1974.

Academics took center stage at Wednesday’s Cultivating Human Flourishing academic symposium and Thursday’s Unlocking Doors to Discovery in Health luncheon and panel discussion for academic guests. The events featured the remarkable research being conducted by Baylor’s faculty.

“We must be bold in our aspirations. Because the world needs a place like Baylor.”

President Linda A. Livingstone

The Oct. 26 installation ceremony and reception served as the capstone for the celebration. Thousands filled the Ferrell Center where representatives of the undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff and the City of Waco mayor delivered official words of welcome while First Gent Brad offered a prayer of blessing and Shelby Livingstone, their daughter, offered insight about President Livingstone.

President Livingstone’s remarks highlighted her journey back to Baylor and her sense of calling to lead Baylor into a bold future. 

The words shared here are the closing remarks from Livingstone’s discourse on the future of Baylor University. Visit baylor.edu/inauguration to see the full presentation.

“The calling before us is challenging, yet significant. We must be bold in our aspirations. Because the world needs a place like Baylor.

“The world needs a Baylor that raises the bar in the area of Christian higher education, combining the riches of undergraduate, professional, and graduate education with rigorous research, high-quality athletics, and unwavering faith commitment.

“The world needs a Baylor that brings our religious identity, institutional resources, and human talent to bear in generating creative solutions to complex problems.

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“The world needs a Baylor that is committed to finishing the race we have started, striving to achieve preeminent status as a research university that is unambiguously Christian. When we can accomplish this goal, we will articulate and embody an exceptional vision for 21st-century Christian higher education and produce graduates with the wisdom, innovation, and leadership skills required to make a difference in the world. 

“The world needs Baylor University!

“I am grateful that God brought me to this place, at this time, to pursue this mission with you, the Baylor Family. Thank you and God Bless You.”