• Quadruplets, quintuplets at Baylor — oh my!

    Hansen Quads, Keys Quads, Jones Quints(At Homecoming, we’re glad to welcome back all our alumni — but not many have stories like these!)

    Baylor grads of a certain age watching Thursday’s “Rachael Ray Show” might have recognized the four sisters — identical quadruplets, actually — featured on the show receiving makeovers so that they, for the first time, might have individual looks. (See video here.)

    Known collectively as the Hansen Quads, the foursome graduated from Baylor in 1997; Alison, Claire and Darcy each received journalism degrees, with Alison also earning a degree in Spanish, and Brooke received degrees in international business and marketing. By their graduation, the foursome had appeared on “The Tonight Show” and “Regis and Kathy Lee” as well as in commercials for Coca-Cola, Jack in the Box and many others.

    The Hansens weren’t the first Baylor quadruplets, either; that honor went to the Keys sisters, who graduated from BU 60 years earlier. Considered the first same-sex quads to survive to adulthood, Roberta, Mona, Mary and Leota Keys were recruited to Baylor by President Pat Neff, and they often accompanied Neff as he traveled the state spreading the word about Baylor.

    Today, another Baylor grad is in the news — not as a multiple himself, but as the father of quintuplets. Austin resident Ethan Jones earned his EMBA from Baylor in May, 14 months after his wife Casey gave birth to Brooklyn, Britton, Jack, Lila and Ryan. A new show on TLC, “Quints by Surprise,” shares the Jones’ life as a family of eight with viewers; one of the first episodes covered the family’s trip to Waco for Ethan’s Baylor graduation.

    (Click the image at right for a larger version of the Hansens, Keys and Jones.)

    Sic ’em, Baylor quads and quints!