Hall of Fame 2026

Baylor Law School alumnus and Dykema associate Matthew Maupin is an accomplished litigator. But, more than that, he is a hometown hero whose commitment to service extends far beyond the walls of the courtroom. Born and raised in Kerrville, Texas, Maupin spent his childhood outdoors along the banks of the Guadalupe River. Those days instilled

Emily and Brett Mills are just as comfortable leading a worship service for thousands on a Sunday morning as they are doing ministry in a strip club on a Saturday night. That is because they live their lives by the words “Jesus Said Love.” For the couple, this phrase reminds them of the importance of

Tiffany Jones-Smith embodies the adage “triumph over tragedy.” She is no stranger to grief, having lost 15 members of her family to kidney disease and later discovering that she herself carried the same high-risk genetic marker. It would have been easy to surrender to this grief and let it consume her. Instead, Jones-Smith was motivated

During his 41 years at Baylor University, Maxey Parrish truly saw it all: sidelines, courtsides, Olympic games, board rooms, and classrooms. He taught across the world, earned countless awards, and even founded Baylor’s athletics website, embracing every opportunity that came his way. Yet beyond these achievements, Parrish’s greatest impact was made outside the classroom, where

When Dr. T. Michael Parrish’s father was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the pivotal attack on Pearl Harbor, he had no idea he was sailing less than a mile from Doris Miller, the very man his son would later dedicate much of his professional life to bringing into history’s light.

Hon. Anh “Joseph” Cao is a boundary breaker whose life has been marked by defying expectations time and time again. He was the first Vietnamese American elected to the U.S. Congress, the only nonwhite House Republican of the 111th Congress, and the only House Republican to vote for an early House version of the health

Dr. Elizabeth Palacios is no stranger to being first, and she has never hesitated to lead the way. A first-generation college student, one of the few Latina professors in Baylor’s School of Education during her 10-year tenure, and the first faculty member appointed special assistant to the president on diversity, Palacios has consistently broken barriers

Skye Perryman is urgently working for justice and fighting for the future. The current president and CEO of Democracy Forward, Perryman’s work centers on confronting extremism, challenging anti-democratic movements, and building a vibrant democracy for all people. For her, the work isn’t political — it’s about serving people.  Perryman grew up in Waco and studied

When Pastor Chris Seay was 16 years old, he destroyed two of his grandfather’s most prized possessions: his car and his house. After driving his grandfather’s brand-new Oldsmobile 98 straight through a wall, a shaken teenage Chris braced himself for the anger and disappointment he assumed would follow. Instead, his grandfather, a Baptist preacher, responded