Bradley "Brad" T. Steele

Career Experience

Brad Steele is an attorney who has been practicing law in Longview for 37 years. He has been licensed to practice law in Texas and Oklahoma since 1982 and is board certified in personal injury trial law and civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the American Association of Justice and the American Board of Trial Advocacy and a past member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Raised in East Texas, Brad completed a BBA in marketing in 1979 from Baylor and a JD in 1981 from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Board Experience

Steele has served on the Board of Advocates for the Baylor Alumni Network since 2018 as a member of the executive committee and is currently vice president-elect. He also serves on the Campaign Steering Committee for Baylor’s Give Light campaign. In addition, he has served as a board member of Longfellows of Longview, Crimestoppers and Pinecrest Country Club, and he is a past president of the Gregg County Bar Association.

Awards and Honors

Steele is an Eagle Scout and was named Best Lawyer in East Texas by the Longview News Journal.

Baylor Philanthropy

Steele has contributed to the Baylor Bear Foundation, the Alumni Board of Advocates Endowed Scholarship Fund, the Linebacker Club, and the Bear Foundation’s Preparing Champions for Life program. He also is a member of the 1845 Society

Church/Christian Mission Affiliations

Steele is a member of First Baptist Church of Longview, where he served for 11 years as a Sunday school teacher in the youth department and was a longtime member of the adult choir and numerous vocal ensembles. He served as a member of the church’s long-range planning and personnel committees and was a youth choir sponsor/mentor for many years.

Questions and Answers

Note: Baylor University is pleased to provide additional information via online exclusive Q&As with each Alumni-elected Regent candidate.

1. Baylor University’s mission is “to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.” How is that mission meaningful to you?

The uniqueness of our mission statement defines what it means to be a Baylor Bear. The goals of worldwide leadership, academic excellence, Christian commitment and caring community are bold and challenging. God calls us as believers to be a light unto a dark world — to be His ambassadors. We can’t do that if we are not, as an institution, pursuing excellence in the classroom and beyond. We can’t do that if we don’t give our graduates the ability to succeed as leaders in the world. We can’t do that if our graduates leave Baylor without a sense of what it means to serve others. God doesn’t want us as believers to sit idly by and let others define the parameters of our existence and that of future generations. As a prospective alumni-elected regent, I will never lose sight of Baylor’s mission to change the world in which we live through the embodiment of Christ’s teachings — it is our mission that defines us and it is what unites us as Baylor Bears.

2. How have you attempted to make a difference in your professional and personal communities?

Litigation is, by definition, adversarial, and within that confine it’s tempting to speak before you think. I’ve done that before, and it has rarely served me well. I’ve seen many lawyers whose temperament is to berate or belittle others. That’s not who I am. I’ve learned that listening to others and considering their circumstances gives me the ability to appreciate who they are as people. I’ve always tried to be courteous to other lawyers and their clients and to treat people the way I would want to be treated if I were in their shoes. I’ve learned that you can be a zealous advocate for your clients and a gentlemen at the same time. In this way, I’ve tried to dispel the notion that all lawyers are bad people. As an employer, I’ve tried to treat my employees with dignity and respect, recognizing that family comes first. I think this philosophy has served me well, and I can hold my head up high as a result.

In my personal life, I’ve tried to be a good husband, father and role model to my children. As a Christian, I think it is important to find a place to serve. My wife and I worked in the youth department of FBC Longview for a number of years, and I sang in the choir as well. As a youth Sunday school teacher, I shared my story of redemption through Christ, and I let the kids see what it means to serve — whether that was teaching Sunday school, helping prepare meals, pulling a trailer with sound gear all over the country for our youth choir or singing in adult choir. As a result, I have been richly blessed, and I hope I have blessed others.

3. As a new board member, what perspectives, skills, interests and relationships would you bring to the board?

As an alumni-elected regent, it’s important to be able to relate to alumni of all age groups and from all walks of life. Even now, at age 62, I have many friends who are Baylor alumni in all age groups, from recent graduates to people my age and older. To be effective, you must have a genuine interest in people and be able to listen and share ideas and concerns with one another. I see being a regent at Baylor as a tremendous responsibility — a stewardship if you will. Having the ability to analyze and discuss issues and communicate ideas and offer input is essential. Being able to compromise and recognize when others are right and you are wrong is important. When I’m in trial, I tell the jury that the law doesn’t require them to leave their common sense at home when they step into the jury box. As regents, I don’t think we should leave our common sense at home, either. At the same time, as we contemplate issues affecting our beloved alma mater, I believe we must always be guided by sound biblical principles – the notion of what is in the best interest of Baylor University as an institution and whether or not any given decision is in line with our mission statement. This is my perspective and what I believe I would bring to the table if elected.

4. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received, and who gave it to you?

The best advice I ever received was from someone I looked up to and admired immensely, the late Sam B. Hall, Jr. He was a Baylor law graduate, a U.S. Congressman from the 1st Congressional district and a federal judge in Marshall. He told me one time many years ago, “Brad, learn from your mistakes and never repeat them.”

For a complete guide to the nomination and election process, visit alumniregents.web.baylor.edu