Kevin Jackson, Larry Lyon among familiar Baylor faces retiring this year
Every spring, the Baylor Family bids happy retirement to professors and staff who have dedicated their professional lives to the university and its students. This spring, we say a special farewell to two prominent university leaders, Vice President for Student Life Kevin Jackson and Baylor Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71).
Dr. Jackson has been the face of student life for a generation of Baylor students, serving as vice president of student life since 2009. His 15-year tenure was marked by a commitment to residential life (including renovation of virtually every residence hall) and to student well-being (as seen in the establishment of the Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center and Care Team Services, the expansion of the Counseling Center, and more.) Jackson led Student Life through the COVID-19 pandemic, and championed a focus on student faith and character development. As a result of his leadership, Baylor has been repeatedly recognized by U.S. News & World Report as having one of the top undergraduate experiences in the country.
Dr. Lyon graduated from Baylor in 1971 and returned to join the sociology faculty at his alma mater four years later. He was named director of the Baylor Center for Community Research and Development in 1979, and appointed dean of the Graduate School in 1998. His half-century of service at BU includes not only teaching and administration but also chairing the Faculty Senate and leading an instrumental self-study of the university in the mid 1990s. Under his leadership, the Graduate School has grown to include 5,000+ students across 100+ in-person, online and professional programs. That growth also played a large part in Baylor reaching R1 status in 2021.
It’s always a bittersweet mix — sadness in seeing such beloved individuals go, and happiness for a well-deserved next step. Below are a few others of the longest-serving and most recognizable Bears who are retiring this year — men and women whose faces will be missed, but whose impact will not be forgotten:
Dr. Kendall Artz is a big reason why Baylor’s entrepreneurship program has been recognized among the nation’s best for the last 15 years. Artz joined the Hankamer School of Business faculty in 1995 and led Baylor entrepreneurship as chair from 2001-17, when he became director of Baylor’s Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise. He also shares his insights through service on multiple boards, including Creative Waco and the Baylor Angel Network.
Dr. Frieda Blackwell came to Baylor as a new member of the Spanish faculty in 1989, and joined the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) faculty when it launched in 1996. That same year, she also took on the role of associate dean for humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences. Over the years, she has been honored almost 20 times for her teaching by such groups as Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, and URSA.
Dr. Burt Burleson (BA ’80) is retiring after 17 years as Baylor’s chaplain. A steadfast, compassionate presence, Burleson has guided a generation of BU students, faculty, and staff in their spiritual journeys. Under his leadership, the resident chaplain program has flourished, Chapel has been transformed to better serve today’s students, and global and local mission work have flourished — thanks in part to deepened partnerships with 40+ campus ministries and 70+ local churches.
Dr. Reagan Ramsower (BBA ’74, MS ’76) has done a little bit of everything at Baylor. After earning two degrees from BU, he joined the Hankamer School of Business faculty, earning campus awards for his teaching in 1988 and 1999. Over his nearly half-century at Baylor, Ramsower has served as a department chair, associate dean, vice president, dean of libraries, chief information officer, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer.
Dr. Lynn Tatum (BA ’75) returned to his alma mater to join the Baylor faculty in 1986, while still finishing his doctorate at Duke. Here, he discovered a passion for teaching — and so he stayed, teaching religion, history and honors/BIC courses to nearly four decades worth of Baylor students. Outside the classroom, Tatum has served in leadership with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).
When Brad Toben (JD ’77) stepped down as dean of Baylor Law School two years ago, he was the longest-serving active leader among the nation’s 200 American Bar Association-accredited law schools. Toben joined the Baylor Law faculty four years after earning his degree here, and led the school as dean from 1991-2023. In that time, Baylor Law rose to the top 50 of U.S. law schools and continued its unparalleled success on the Texas bar exam.
For the last two decades, Dr. Kirk Wakefield (MBA ’81) has been a driving force behind what is now the Curb S3E program — Baylor’s Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment in the Hankamer School of Business. Wakefield has taught and mentored students who now work in virtually every major U.S. sport, and at nearly every level — both at Baylor and beyond, as he literally wrote the textbook many schools use for sports business classes.
These aren’t the only Baylor faculty retiring this semester… Others with 25+ years of experience at Baylor include: Dr. Allen Seward (BA ’75, MS ’76) (insurance and finance, 45 years); Dr. Dennis Myers (BA ’68) (social work, 44); Dr. Michael Jacobson (saxophone, 41); Dr. Blake Burleson (BA ’78, MA ’82, PhD ’86) (religion, 38); Dr. Steven Rich (BBA ’81, MBA ’82) (finance, 38); Dr. Baudelio Garza (Spanish, 37); Dr. Linda McManness (Spanish, 35); Dr. Eric Lai (music theory, 31); Dr. Tim Kayworth (information systems, 29); Dr. Cassy Burleson (MA ’00) (journalism, 25); and Dr. James Garven (finance and insurance, 25).
Sic ’em, Baylor retirees!