Celebrating Baylor’s many awesome profs during Teacher Appreciation Week
During Teacher Appreciation Week this spring, the official Baylor Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts each asked the same question: “Which Baylor professor(s) made an impact in your life?”
The query drew more than 1,200 responses, with almost 600 different teachers honored (including more than 200 who were named multiple times). Many respondents included a story about their favorite professors; here are just a handful of those memories, shared by alumni and students across a half-century of education at Baylor:
“Dr. Ralph Hausman, who taught all my classes for my special education teaching certifications. He began the Baylor Chapter for Exceptional Children, and helped me start a Sunday School class for special needs children at FBC Waco. We also surveyed the entire campus for accessibility; that was a lot of work and very time consuming.” — Kathy Horner, BA ’73
“Dr. James Parsons had the most profound impact on my life and career. The only C I ever earned was in his Advanced Accounting class. During a visit to his office, he made a quiet comment about being overcommitted — I was newly married, working, interviewing, studying for the CPA exam and finishing my degree. With that C, I learned that I would not always be the best and brightest, when I was in a sea of the best and brightest. It was a tremendous lesson to learn right before jumping into Big 8 public accounting. Ironically, after my public accounting days, I spent 14 years being the consolidations and financial reporting expert in my company. I am so grateful for Dr. Parsons, his preparation and that life lesson.” — Beverly Edwards Stookey, BBA ’85
“Linda Walker. I was literally in her class when I learned of my father’s death. She came out into the hall, first to find out what was happening, then to comfort. She took it upon herself to contact the dean to inform my other profs of the situation. She also contacted financial aid to let them research what assistance I could get now that I was officially on orphan — my mother had died two years prior, and my father had not remarried, and siblings were struggling themselves. She later became like a mother to me.” — Dennis A Boomhower, BSED ’93, MSED ’95
“Dr. Wendy Allman was the first person to make me realize I should major in English. Dr. Tom Hanks challenged me to do more than is simply necessary. And Dr. Richard Russell is the reason I went to grad school at UNC. Thank you, Baylor English department!” — Chelsey Masterson, BA ’09
“Carol Macaulay and Dr. Sweet for sharing their love of archaeology and history and passion for their discipline with me. Professor Macaulay opened the door for me into my field, and I wouldn’t be where I am without her mentorship. Dr. Sweet helped me have a passion for American Colonial history and helped that subject come to life through her re-enactments in class as well as in class debates discussing the issues of the times.” — Will Crisp, BA ’17
“Maxey Parrish!! I cannot stress enough how much he has supported me this semester. he has been there for me during one of the most trying times of my life and I would not have made it through this semester without him!” — Claire Garza, BU ’20
Sic ’em, Baylor professors!
You might also like:
* Honoring some familiar Baylor faces retiring this spring (May 2019)
* 8 ways teachers are training up the next generation of Baylor Bears (July 2018)
* A deeper dive into some of Baylor’s most influential professors (May 2018)
* Professors as mentors — a Baylor tradition since 1845 (Oct. 2014)