An Innovative Spirit – Past, Present and Future

Today, it can be challenging to imagine a time before Baylor University and its Texas home were seen as places of innovation. As one of just 52 private R1 institutions nationally, Baylor is now recognized as a preeminent Christian research university. And its Waco home in the rapidly-growing Texas Triangle, neighbored by Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, is an emerging leader in technology, healthcare and entrepreneurship. 

When it comes to pioneering education and ground-breaking research, Baylor has always been on the cutting edge.

Established in 1845, before Texas was a state, Baylor quickly set out to establish disciplines and educational opportunities new to the region. Within four years, the University began to offer the first law lectures in Texas, later awarding the first law diplomas in the state. In 1851, Baylor received its first shipment of scientific apparatus and was soon operational — very likely, the first chemistry and biology lab in Texas. 

While it is natural for a new institution to explore boundaries of knowledge and practice, it soon became clear that a pioneering spirit was embedded within the University’s DNA as it matured. Sociology was introduced to the American Southwest by Baylor in 1910. In 1912, Baylor offered the state’s first journalism course and, 15 years later, opened the first journalism library in Texas. 

As Texas grew from an infant state into an eventual global leader, Baylor prodded that growth through the introduction of education, which brought commensurate opportunities previously unavailable to neighbors close to campus. 

“When Baylor was founded, our founders talked about a university ‘fully susceptible for enlargement and development to meet the needs of all ages to come,’” Larry Lyon, Ph.D., dean of the Baylor Graduate School, said. “That’s a lot of hubris. They thought back in 1845 that they could create a university like that. And yet today almost 200 years later, that’s what we’re doing. We are producing a Baylor that is growing, that’s developing, that’s responding to the needs of our society and to our world.” 

Today, the University’s motto Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana — “For the Church, For Texas” — now includes a global focus — Pro Mundo. The University’s continued focus on advancing opportunities to train students for worldwide leadership and service has long demonstrated the truth of that claim.

That first shipment of scientific equipment in 1851 represented an investment now grown countless times over. Today, Baylor is a leader in health research and training, bolstered by nationally-recognized laboratories across campus.

“When I first visited Baylor, I could see they were serious,” said John Wood, Ph.D., distinguished chemistry professor and recipient of the prestigious Ernest Guenther Award from the American Chemical Society. Wood came to Baylor after time spent on the faculties at Colorado State University and Yale University, drawn by the opportunities afforded him for elite research at Baylor. 

“These facilities represent excellence, the best that I’ve ever worked in my career.”

Wood and his colleagues continue to drive innovation in cancer medication and new technologies, while at the same time living out Baylor’s Christian mission in distinct ways, such as a focus on expanding opportunities for students with disabilities like blindness to pursue a future in science. In recent years, Baylor has recruited top faculty from Vanderbilt University, the University  of Alabama, UCLA, Oregon State University and more to be a part of expanding further educational opportunities for students.

From those early law classes, Baylor Law School grew into national recognition as the top school for practical law training in the nation and an annual leader for bar exam rate passage in the state of Texas. Baylor sociology has likewise flourished and led in areas like the study of religion’s impact on society, fitting for a university committed to academic excellence grounded in Christian faith.