History prof made his own history at Baylor

If you were at this weekend’s Homecoming football game against Texas Tech, then you saw five Baylor honorees presented with the Herbert H. Reynolds Award for Exemplary Service: Dr. Paul Armitstead (pictured at right with his daughters), Dr. Kent Gilbreath, Ann Reed, Julie Hermansen Turner, and Jim Turner.

Dr. Armitstead is the only one I’ve met; I had his History of the American Presidency class as a senior. I took it pass/fail as an elective because it sounded interesting and because I had a friend taking the course. Both choices (to take the course, and to take it P/F) were good ones; the class was incredibly informative, thanks to Dr. Armitstead’s encyclopedic knowledge and approach to the materials, but also incredibly hard for a non-history major like me.

Dr. Armitstead retired from full-time teaching in 2003 but continued to teach part-time until last year. I’m glad to know that my index card is among his collection of approximately 13,000 — one for every student he ever taught. I’m also proud to know that Baylor can attract and keep such excellent professors for a lifetime — in Dr. Armitstead’s case, 45 years.

Sic ’em, Dr. Armitstead and all the other wonderful professors Baylor is proud to call its own!