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Points of Pride — Alumni

Dec

2012

Join your fellow Bears at all the events around the Holiday Bowl — even in your own city

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Athletics, Student life

As with most bowl games, the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl is actually the culmination of several days of events in San Diego. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the highlights Bear fans in San Diego have to look forward to:

Dec. 26, Baylor Alumni Network Pep Rally, 5:30 p.m., Manchester Grand Hyatt, Douglas Ballroom
Dec. 26, Baylor Alumni Network Young Grad event, 7 p.m., Yard House
Dec. 26, Baylor “B” Association Social, 7 p.m., Fox Sports Grill
Dec. 27, Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade, 10 a.m., downtown San Diego
Dec. 27, Baylor Sports Network Tailgate, 3 p.m., Power Party Pavilion outside the stadium (registration required)
Dec. 27, 2012 Holiday Bowl, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)

For details on these and other events surrounding the game, as well as tickets, travel packages, Holiday Bowl apparel and more, visit baylor.edu/nation or the BaylorBears.com Bowl Central.

Can’t make it to San Diego for the game? Join your fellow Bears at watch parties all over the country! Click here for a list of Baylor Alumni Network-sponsored Holiday Bowl watch parties.

(Also, fans unable to attend the game should note that the Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade the morning of the game will be televised live nationally [details TBA]. Watch for Baylor students carrying the Baylor Bear balloon from the Homecoming parade!)

Alamo Bowl pep rally 2011

Sic ’em, Bears!

Dec

2012

Texas insurers group names industry excellence award for Baylor grad

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Honors

Reading 1954 Baylor graduate Will Davis‘ resume, my first thought is, “One man did all this?!”

For starters, he has served as general counsel for the Texas Department of Insurance, vice-chairman of the Texas State Board of Education, and president of the Austin ISD board of trustees, Texas Association of School Boards and National School Boards Association. Davis, BBA ’54, LLB ’54, was also co-chair of the National Citizens Committee for a Cabinet-level department of education, which led to the establishment of the U.S. Department of Education.

All this (and more) on top of 50-plus years as a leading legal representative in the world of insurance. For his dedicated service, the Texas Association of Life & Health Insurers — an industry group representing the majority of the state’s insurers — has announced the establishment of the Will D. Davis Excellence in Insurance Award. The award’s first recipient? Davis himself, at a luncheon last week in Austin.

Davis’ leadership roles began at Baylor, where he served as the university’s first student body president. He has also served as president of the Baylor Alumni Association and chair of the Board of Regents.

A former Baylor running back, his family bleeds green and gold, with other Baylor alumni including his late wife, Ann; two children, Lynn Walker, BS ’82, and Dr. Will Davis Jr., BA ’84; and seven grandchildren, Katelyn Baroch, BA ’07, William Walker III, BBA ’07, MTS ’10, Allison Davis, BA ’08, David Walker, BS ’08, Will Davis III, BA ’09, Natalie Walker, BA ’11, and Emily Davis, BA ’12.

Sic ’em, Will!

Dec

2012

Christmas gift ideas for your Baylor Bear

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Just for Fun

Baylor Christmas gifts Searching for the right Christmas gift for that Baylor Bear in your life? Here are some suggestions:

* How about a book? The Year of the Bear and Invincible (about the 2012 Lady Bears) are both beautiful products showcasing Baylor’s athletic success over the past year. Soldiers of the Wooden Cross explores the lives of BU veterans honored on memorial lampposts across campus, and Baylor University Press offers several other books related to Baylor history.

* Clothes? The Sailor Bear collection from the Baylor Bookstore is great for the retro look. These Baylor cowboy boots have been a hot seller this year, and a BU polo is nice for those casual Fridays at work.

* Something for your little future Bear? 1,2,3 Baylor is great for the littlest ones, and B is for Baylor targets a slightly older child in teaching the alphabet. This Bruiser Pillow Pet is a favorite of my son’s.

* For the RG3 fan? There’s no shortage of options. This Baylor t-shirt is pretty sweet, or you can go with a Redskins jersey or jersey t-shirt. He’s got “unbelievably believable” socks and a “no pressure, no diamonds” shirt. But my favorite? This bobblehead.

* Something from the Baylor family? Consider World Magazine’s Book of the Year (by Baylor prof Rodney Stark), the Hatfields & McCoys DVD set (from alum Kevin Reynolds), or the final CD from the David Crowder Band. Also, new Christmas music from Laura Cooksey, BM ’01, Brett and Emily Mills, BA ’98/BA ’99, Jeff McMahon, BA ’87, The Digital Age (former members of DCB) and the Robbie Seay Band.

And if none of this strikes your fancy? For a particularly meaningful gift, consider a donation to the President’s Scholarship Initiative in honor of your loved one. Or for even more Baylor gear and accessories, check out the Baylor Bookstore website or shop local t-shirt producers like Congress Clothing, Screen-Tex Graphics and Bearland Outfitters.

Sic ’em, Christmas shoppers!

You might also like:
* Christmas music from the Baylor family (Dec. 2011)
* Christmas gift ideas for the Baylor Bears in your life (Dec. 2009)

Dec

2012

15-year effort to tell stories behind Baylor’s memorial lampposts culminates in alum’s new book

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Extraordinary Stories, Service

Chances are that at some point, as you walked across campus, you stopped at least briefly to read a small plaque affixed to one of the granite lampposts that dot the landscape. Each honors a Baylor alum who was killed in action in service of our country; if you’ve ever wondered their story beyond the 20 or so words on the plaque, this is your book.

It started with that sense of wonder. “Who was this person? What happened to them?” Frank Jasek, BBA ’73, isn’t a writer by trade. Nor is he a veteran, having been deemed “4F” during the Vietnam War. But those questions intrigued him after he noticed one of the lampposts one day, and it started him digging. Fifteen years later, his efforts have reached their conclusion in the publication of Soldiers of the Wooden Cross: Military Memorials of Baylor University.

The 323-page, hardcover book lovingly tells the story of each of the Baylor veterans killed in service who are honored on plaques across campus. Civil War and World War I veterans (recognized on plaques in the Texas Collection) each have brief entries, but the meat of the book are the tales of the 145 Baylor alumni killed in service during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraqi Freedom who are honored on memorial lampposts that light the campus.

Each receives a two-page spread in the book (see example above), anchored by a narration telling whatever parts of the veteran’s story that Jasek could dig up. Family photographs, letters to and from loved ones, scans of old newspaper articles and yearbook articles, and even original artwork illustrate each veteran’s life.

And Jasek did it all as a labor of love. His interest began one day when he stopped to read one of the plaques and wondered what that man’s story was. He found some information in the Texas Collection, and more from public government archives. But it took tracking down family members and old friends, one by one, to really rebuild each story. So that was what Jasek did, spending a decade and a half pulling together the information that would become this book.

Jasek, by day a preservation specialist for Baylor Libraries, got help from several Baylor friends. Of note, graphic design professor Virginia Green helped with layout and design, and Dr. Michael Parrish, BA ’74, MA ’76, a history professor, helped write a few sections. Legendary BU football coach Grant Teaff agreed to write the foreward, and a few benefactors stepped forward to help with the cost of getting it printed.

“I would like people to know who these people were by reading the book and knowing their story, and not to forget what they did,” says Jasek. “They didn’t have a chance to come back and own a business or be presidents – they didn’t have a chance. Their lives were taken from them. But they knew the risks. And so they stood in line, and – the Sioux Indians have a saying, “Brave hearts to the front.” They were the brave hearts, and they just were killed in the war. I think that’s what I want people to know, to understand the sacrifice.”

For more information on the book or to place an order, visit soldierswoodencross.info.

Sic ’em, Frank and Baylor veterans!

Nov

2012

Baylor alumni gathering all over the country to celebrate Christmas together

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Just for Fun

Baylor Alumni Network Christmas events

We know that most alumni can’t make it back to Waco to enjoy the annual Christmas on 5th Street celebration tonight. But did you know there’s likely a Baylor Christmas celebration near you?

Baylor Alumni Network staff and volunteers organize gatherings of the Baylor family all over the country, from business networking events to sports watch parties. This time of year, the focus of many Network events naturally turns to Christmas.

Upcoming events in Dallas and Houston for young alumnae offer evenings of holiday recipes and Christmas cheer. Mama Bears and their families are invited for a Christmas picnic and parade in Austin and a cookie party in Dallas. This weekend, Bears will make Christmas wreaths together near Denver and exchange cookies in Washington, D.C. A holiday mix and mingle event in Houston will bring together Baylor lawyers, while a Christmas tea brings together Baylor women in Oklahoma City and a traditional Christmas party in Longview welcomes East Texans.

All over the state and even across the country, Baylor parents are gathering for Bear Care Packaging Parties, in which they assemble gift boxes for their children, their students’ friends and roommates. Many events have already taken place across the state (Austin, Dallas, Houston, Lubbock and San Angelo) and nationwide (Chicago, Colorado Springs, Denver and San Francisco). More Bear Care events are scheduled for Beaumont, Houston, San Antonio and St. Louis.

If you haven’t been receiving emails about events in your area, make sure your contact information is up to date in the Baylor Alumni and Friends Directory. Hope to see you at one of these events!

Sic ’em, Baylor Alumni Network and Baylor alums!

Nov

2012

Young alum turns Homecoming tradition into marriage proposal

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Just for Fun

Colin Brown and Sarah Hnatek It’s not unusual for Baylor grads to find their future spouses here on campus; my wife and I are lucky to be among those numbers. But this story of a Baylor proposal that I received last week is just too cute not to share; here’s the tale from happy groom-to-be Colin Brown, BS ’12:

“My girlfriend, Sarah Hnatek, BSME ’12, and I met at freshman orientation the summer before we started at Baylor. A year and a half later we were dating, then leading a Welcome Week group together, and cheering on our Bears throughout.

“Baylor played such a big role in making us each who we are today that after graduation (in May 2012), we knew we wanted to come back as often as we can for decades and decades to come. So before graduation, we made a time capsule with a piece of paper rolled up inside. We signed it, dated it, and hid it at our own secret place on campus with the idea that when we come back to campus down the road, we can sign our time capsule and reminisce our great days at Baylor.

“Sarah came from a long line of Baylor Bears and has been to every Homecoming since she was born, so what better time to propose than Baylor Homecoming 2012? That day, after our Baylor football team’s beatdown of Kansas, Sarah and I made our way back to campus to our time capsule. We found it safe and sound, and as we were adding our new entry, I got down one knee and popped the question. “She said YES! 11/3/12″ was added to our capsule, and the rest is history. We’re getting married August 2013. Baylor has been, is and will always be a part of our history with a special place in our lives.”

Sic ’em, Baylor couples!

You might also like:
* Senior trip to Independence perfect for popping the question (May 2012)
* Baylor guys find creative ways to propose to their Baylor girls (Sept. 2011)
* Foreign language leads to love for Baylor couple (Nov. 2009)

[We learned of this story from a Bear who shared his Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]

Nov

2012

Is your car Baylor Proud?

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Just for Fun

Baylor license plates During Homecoming, someone tweeted us a photo of a car on campus with a particularly green-and-gold license plate: a Baylor plate reading, simply, “BAYLOR.”

What a great way of showing Baylor pride! The Baylor license plates available from the State of Texas were redesigned in 2010 to a more distinctly green-and-gold look.

Since then, more than 200 Bears have purchased these plates, many using the opportunity to also personalize their license plate tag (those are real plates pictured at right). A good portion of the cost of the plates goes to scholarships, as well.

[Get your Baylor plate from MyPlates.com or Texas.gov.]

And of course, Bear fans inside or outside of Texas can always accessorize vehicles with Baylor license plate frames, window stickers, auto emblems and more.

Sic ’em, Baylor proud drivers!

Nov

2012

Baylor alum inducted into Texas Literary Hall of Fame

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Alumni, Honors

Robert Flynn The short list of inductees into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame includes such names as Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove), Katherine Anne Porter (Ship of Fools) and Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird screenplay). The list also now includes Baylor alumnus Robert Flynn, BA ’54, MA ’57.

The Texas Literary Hall of Fame inducted Flynn as part of the Class of 2012 during a ceremony last month. Founded by the Friends of the Fort Worth Library, the hall biennially votes to honor writers “whose body of work enhances Texas’ literary heritage, is original and first published in this country, and has already been recognized for its literary significance.”

Flynn has written 13 books, including nine novels (most notably, the national bestseller North to Yesterday), three short-story collections and an oral history of the Vietnam War. He came to Baylor from Chillicothe, Texas, and taught drama at Baylor for several years after graduating before heading to Trinity University, where he is now an emeritus professor. He credits former Baylor professors Paul Baker and Eugene McKinney, BA ’48, MA ’50, for helping him become a writer.

Sic ’em, Robert!

Nov

2012

Baylor Homecoming 2012: A Social Gathering

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Photo Galleries, Student life, Videos

The way we tell our stories may change, but the feelings stay the same. From the nation’s first collegiate homecoming in 1909 on through the 2012 event this past weekend, Baylor’s richest tradition remains strong as thousands of members of the Baylor family return to campus each year.

[PHOTOS: Wed./Thurs activities (Pigskin, Mass Meeting, etc.) || Fri./Sat. activities (Bonfire, Parade, Football) || More from football's win over Kansas || Waco Tribune-Herald: Bonfire, Parade, Football]

It was fun to follow this year’s Homecoming through the eyes of those attending, be they former, current or future students, through social media — particularly on Twitter and Instagram. (Do a search on either site for “#BUHC12″ to see what I mean.)

Such sites gave a new meaning to the “social gathering” that is Homecoming. Baylor Photography combined some of their own work from this weekend with photos and comments seen online to produce the video above celebrating Homecoming 2012.

Enjoy the video? It’s never too early to start making plans to come for Homecoming 2013!

Sic ’em, Bears!

Nov

2012

Baylor Stadium Founders honored for helping bring football back to campus

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Athletics, Pro Futuris

It takes a lot of hands to get something as big as a stadium from idea to reality. You could credit any number of folks with playing a large part in helping bring Baylor Stadium to life, from Robert Griffin III and Art Briles to Ken Starr and Ian McCaw.

At Homecoming, four families were honored as Baylor Stadium Founders for their transformational leadership and generous support to help make the Bears’ on-campus stadium a dream come true: the McLanes, Williams, Fosters and Robinsons.

From the carillon bells of Pat Neff Hall, to student scholarships and the McLane Student Life Center, the generosity of the McLane Family — Drayton (BBA ’58) and Elizabeth McLane Jr., Drayton (BBA ’96) and Amy McLane III, and Denton (BBA ’99) and Amy McLane — and their support for Baylor are evident across all areas of the university. With their stadium naming-rights gift, the McLane family chose to name the new facility “Baylor Stadium.”

A former Baylor football letterman and Law School graduate, John Eddie Williams Jr. (BBA ’76, JD ’78) attributes much of his success to lessons he learned at Baylor. Founder and managing partner of Williams Kherkher, Williams has devoted his career to advocacy on behalf of those for whom the law may be their only protection. He and his wife, Sheridan, loyally support student scholarships and gave generously to the construction of Baylor Law School.

Paul (BBA ’79) and Alejandra Foster share a belief that our future depends on the education of our youth. They are active in providing resources and leadership to an array of initiatives designed to improve the lives of people in their community. Paul, executive chairman of Western Refining, provided funding for the Paul L. Foster Success Center. He and Alejandra continue to be strong supporters of Baylor University.

Clifton (BBA ’63) and Betsy (BA ’71) Robinson have made enhancing the Waco community and strengthening the Baylor-Waco partnership a priority. As a successful entrepreneur, Clifton recognizes the power of education and provides generous support for student scholarships. The Robinsons were also instrumental in launching the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) and the downtown location of the School of Social Work.

Sic ’em, Baylor Stadium Founders, for helping lead the way in bringing football back to campus!

Baylor Stadium Founders

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