Rand Paul and Bill Murray just the latest among notable Baylor visitors this year
One of the great things about life on campus is access to extraordinary people. Baylor students are blessed, year in and year out, with opportunities to learn from and interact with some of the most accomplished and influential figures in a variety of fields. This isn’t a new thing; a photo from the 1971 yearbook shared yesterday on Twitter by @Baylor, for instance, revealed the previous year’s guest lineup, featuring such notable names as John Glenn, Bill Moyers, Ralph Nader and Ross Perot. The last 12 months have been no different.
Last week was a great example. Senator Rand Paul, a Baylor alumnus and U.S. Senator from Kentucky, visited campus Friday and met with students about civic involvement and the importance of education. The very next day, fans at the Ferrell Center to see the men’s basketball team’s dominating win over No. 9 Xavier were treated to a surprise, as legendary actor Bill Murray attended the game (turns out his son is an assistant coach for Xavier). Afterwards, Murray shook hands with fans, spent time with members of the team, and even sang “Happy Birthday” to a 94-year-old Baylor fan.
Those are just the two latest examples. Baylor students have also been blessed this year to hear from such speakers as best-selling historian David McCullough, New York Times columnist David Brooks, Hobby Lobby CEO Steve Green, former Walmart CEO Bill Simon, Nobel Prize winning scientist Bruce Beutler, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Ken Herman, Vietnam War novelist Tim O’Brien, and longtime film and stage actor Hal Holbrook.
If you add musicians to the list, it grows even longer: singer/songwriters Aloe Blacc and Ben Rector, DJ Elephante, X-Factor star Jacob Whitesides, ’90s rock staples Gin Blossoms and Sister Hazel, and Texas country star Wade Bowen.
Who will 2017 bring to campus? Only time will tell, but judging by past history, the Baylor family will be blessed to hear from some extraordinary people on campus in the year ahead.
Sic ’em, Baylor visitors!
[Did we miss someone notable who should have been on the list? Let us know!]