Did you know Baylor offered the first law school in Texas? That Presidents Harry S Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson all visited Baylor while in office? That Pat Neff Hall was first lit green after a Baylor victory in College Station “as a beacon home for all the students who had made the trip to foreign lands to witness the victory”?
If not, you might enjoy clicking around the new “About Baylor” section of the university’s website. I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t the ‘about us’ page usually the most boring part of a website?” Yes, sometimes. But not this one.
My favorite part is the “Baylor Campus: Then and Now.” You’ve seen those Chevy commercials mixing old and new photos? This is like that; you can slide a marker back and forth to see shots of Pat Neff Hall, Burleson Quadrangle and other historic campus sites from back in the day and today. The growth around Founders Mall and the SUB are particularly striking.
The “Heritage” section also does a great job of laying out Baylor’s history as the oldest continually operating university in Texas. An interactive timeline details about 200 events of Baylor’s past, from its founding in 1845 to the launch of Pro Futuris in 2012, but also such details like the first Dr Pepper Hour, the founding of the NoZe Brotherhood and visits from dignitaries of all sorts.
And there’s plenty more to see:
- A list of some of Baylor’s prominent alumni, from Medal of Honor Recipients to athletes;
- A photo gallery showing off Baylor’s beautiful campus;
- Quick breakdowns of Baylor’s demographics;
- Where BU stands in various rankings;
- A handy social media directory; and
- Background on Baylor’s values and vision.
Go check it out!
Sic ’em, Bears!
