A Legacy of Leadership

For more than five decades, Baylor alumna Kathy Robinson Hillman, BA ’73, MLS, has embodied the spirit of Baylor University through her unwavering commitment to faith, education and service. Now completing her 50th academic year on the faculty and celebrating more than 50 years of service to Baylor, Hillman has touched generations of students, colleagues and Baptist leaders across Texas and beyond as she serves as associate professor and director of Baptist Collections, Library Advancement and the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society. 

A multi-generation Baylor legacy, Hillman’s connection to Baylor is profound. Her family story traces back to Baylor’s original campus in Independence, where her great-grandmother Kate Ewing Robinson studied. Her grandfather T.P. Robinson scored all Baylor’s points in the first Homecoming game and was inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame. Hillman’s call to Christian service began when she committed her life to Christ as a young child and later discovered her passion for libraries through her high school librarian and those at Baylor. Since joining the faculty in 1976, she has been involved in transformative changes in librarianship, technology and higher education. Yet her purpose has remained constant: to guide, encourage and pray for students as they grow academically, spiritually and personally. Her leadership extends far beyond campus. Hillman served as the 2014-15 president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and has held numerous roles in Woman’s Missionary Union at local, state and national levels.

    Whether mentoring students, chairing the Faculty Senate and various committees or leading in the denomination, she has consistently used her communication and leadership gifts to strengthen Baptist life and Christian higher education. Hillman’s greatest joy comes from what she calls the “ripple effect” — seeing former students become leaders who mentor and bring the next generation of students to Baylor. In November 2025, Hillman’s family honored her 50 years of service to Baylor by establishing The Kathy Robinson Hillman Endowed Chair in Communications, which will provide the department funding for a full-time faculty chair.