George W. Truett Distinguished Service Award Vince Clark graduated from Baylor University with a BA in History and fell in love with Central Texas and Waco. He graduated with a J.D. from Baylor Law School in 1985, moved to Tyler, TX and practiced law for five years as a trial attorney specializing in civil litigation—mainly […]

Distinguished Alumni Award After nearly six years as executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), Suzii Paynter is serving as co-director of Pastors for Texas Children. CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and 1,800 churches who share a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of

Distinguished Alumni Award Dr. Mark Adickes was raised all over the world as the son of an Army chaplain. He attended high school in Berlin and Munich, and graduated from Killeen High School while his father was stationed at Fort Hood. Dr. Adickes excelled in sports and received a football scholarship to Baylor University. At

How should Baylor respond when its Christian mission conflicts with its mission to be an educational institution? In many ways, this question gets at the heart of an identity crisis Baylor has had for decades. Over the last few years, that question seems to be the root of many of the school’s most controversial incidents

George W. Truett Distinguished Service Award Levi Price graduated from Baylor University in 1964. While at Baylor, he was a football varsity letterman. He graduated from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 1972 and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1976.  Price married the former Luethyl (Lu) Dawkins in

Outstanding Young Alumni Award  John-Paul C. Hayworth is the Executive Director of the DC State Board of Education. He joined the State Board in 2015 after serving in two mayoral administrations and on Capitol Hill, including as an advisor on federal, congressional and local affairs specializing in education, economic development and budget issues. Mr. Hayworth

Distinguished Alumni Award John McClain grew up in Waco and graduated from Richfield High School and MCC before earning his degree in journalism at Baylor in 1975. He worked for the Waco Tribune-Herald from 1973 to 1976, when he accepted a job with the Houston Chronicle. This is his 44th year at the Chronicle and

Abner V. McCall Humanitarian Award Jill McCall, a Waco native, has dedicated her professional life to helping the children and families in the Central Texas community. After graduating from Baylor, Jill started in public service for McLennan County as a Juvenile Probation Officer. Jill has served on many nonprofit boards, including a year as the

Distinguished Alumni Award Don Willett serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  Before joining the federal judiciary, Judge Willett served a dozen years on the Supreme Court of Texas. He has devoted his professional life to public service, and prior to becoming a judge, he served as legal counsel to

Outstanding Young Alumni Award Ashley Killough is a reporter-producer for CNN covering Congress and based in the network’s Washington Bureau. Prior to reporting from Capitol Hill, she covered the field of Republican candidates in the 2016 presidential race as an embed producer for two years, ending on Donald Trump’s campaign.  Since joining CNN in 2011,