Long-time leader and Burleson descendant passes after life of service

Continuing on yesterday’s theme of service…  Eleanor Whilden Tinsley — a 1946 Baylor graduate and the great-granddaughter of former Baylor president Rufus C. Burleson — passed away Tuesday at the age of 82.

A longtime Houston City Council member, Tinsley followed in Burleson’s footsteps by living a life of service dedicated to improving the world for others. She championed the preservation of green spaces and worked to improve conditions for schoolchildren in Houston, first as a board member of the Houston Independent School District from 1969-73 and then as a member of the city council from 1979-95. Tinsley Elementary School in Houston was named in her honor in 2001.

Tinsley and her husband James, also a Baylor alumnus, remained involved with the University long after graduation. Eleanor served on the Alumni Asssociation Board of Directors and was named a Distinguished Alumni Award winner in 1991, and the Tinsley family was named among the Baylor Alumni Association’s First Families of Baylor in 1993.

Sic ’em, Tinsley family, for sharing your servant’s heart with Baylor and the community for so many years!