An Icon Recognized

Former Baylor professor Carol Perry was honored by Waco Mayor Jim Holmes and the City of Waco, declaring Aug. 20, 2024, to be “Carol Perry Day.” 

Perry spent nearly three decades in Baylor’s department of journalism, public relations and new media, where she taught generations of students about public relations and design before retiring in 2019. She brought to that role the experience that comes from having worked for a growing city. 

From 1984 to 1992, she served as the City of Waco’s public information officer. In 1985, while working for the City of Waco, the city manager asked her to design a new symbol for Waco. 

Having majored in art as a college student at Texas Christian University, Perry also writes icons as a spiritual practice. Her paintings usually depict Christ, the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist or one of many saints. 

“It’s a prayerful process,” Perry said. “That’s part of the gift to those of us who do the work; the tremendous peace that comes with the work.”

A calligraphy hobbyist and font enthusiast, she researched a Latin script from the Middle Ages to create the iconic Flying W that was adopted as the city symbol. The final design was approved by Waco City Council and is now a registered trademark.

In the four decades that followed, the Flying W has become a beloved Waco icon, on equal footing with the Suspension Bridge and the ALICO Building. The symbol now adorns the city flag, city seal, water towers, manhole covers, fire stations and, with its popularity as a tattoo, the bodies of Waco residents.

We thank Perry for her dedication to Baylor and the City of Waco — a true icon in every sense.