Texas Archives - The Baylor Line

The School That Saved Baylor: Legacies of Waco University

History, Texas / By Robert F. Darden, Editor emeritus

Baylor University’s beloved origin story — how Texas’ oldest university, a scrappy little Baptist college in tiny Independence, overcame impossible odds, moved to Waco, and became one of America’s great institutions — conveniently glosses over the other significant factor in that transformation: Waco University. And while the larger-than-life presence of irascible, imperious Rufus C. Burleson […]

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Baylor grads rumble in Austin: Ken Paxton (’85, MBA ’86) calls for Kelly Hancock’s (’86) removal from office

Texas / By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune

Attorney General Ken Paxton has called for acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock to be removed from office, in a fiery social media tirade responding to a letter Hancock sent accusing Paxton of falling short in his efforts to stop the spread of Muslim-affiliated groups in Texas. Paxton called Hancock an “incompetent loser” and “embarrassment” to the position of

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The Birds at Baylor and Beyond

Campus, Texas / By Roger Munford

Central Texas is a gold mine for birders, and the Waco area is no exception to that. With a diversity of ecosystems that attract many species, it is a prime location on the Central Flyway. Of the four avian superhighways in the United States, the Central Flyway runs through Texas, as well as Colorado, Kansas,

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Pompeo Luigi Coppini: The Most Famous Texas Sculptor You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

History, Profiles, Texas / By Roger Munford

In his lifetime, Pompeo Coppini was recognized as a talented artist, both popular and successful,” according to Dr. Rick McCaslin, director of publications at the Texas State Historical Association, and former professor of history at the University of North Texas. “But I’ve seen several newspaper headlines that referred to him as a Confederate sculptor,” he

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Will Canon: Film and Perseverance

Profiles, Texas / By Robert F. Darden, Editor emeritus

Baylor University’s legacy of filmmakers, screenwriters, playwrights, and actors is uncommonly rich and varied – John Lee Hancock, Kevin Reynolds, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Robert Askins, Mark Olsen, Carole “Cookie” Cook, Geoff Moore, Jordan Hearne, Maree Cheatham, Angela Kinsley, Clu Gulager, and so many others – but few have had a more intriguing path than

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After the Storm

Texas / By Andrew Paul

Baylor Law School alum Matthew Maupin (JD ‘22) always wanted to be a litigator. And if you want to be a litigator in Texas, there’s no question about where to go for your education. “They call it the boot camp of law school, and that’s for good reason,” he said. “It produces fine litigators, but

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Rod Aydelotte on the Art of Moments

Fall 2025, Profiles, Texas / By Leslie George

If you live in Waco, you’ve likely seen Rod Aydelotte (’77) and his camera: maybe at the dedication of tiny homes for the homeless; or the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the courthouse; or any protest, parade, art festival, high school clothing drive, or amid the frenzy of a breaking news story or

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How Skye Perryman Rose from Baylor to Become a Defender of Democracy

Profiles, Texas / By Roger Munford

Skye Perryman was a sophomore at Baylor University, working toward a bachelor’s degree in economics and philosophy, when, early on the morning of September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. Her experiences on that

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Building Baylor: How Freemasonry Shaped the University’s First 150 Years

History, Texas / By Jonathan H. Reynolds

Note of disclosure: The author of this article is the oldest grandson of Herbert Hal Reynolds (11th president of Baylor) and is the first cousin four times removed of W.R. White (9th president of Baylor). He is also a Freemason. What do Baylor University’s first 11 Presidents have in common with Mozart, Isaac Newton, George

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The Mighty Brazos

History, Texas, Wacoing / By Leslie George

Perhaps nothing says “Texas” like the Brazos River, the 10th longest river in the U.S. and the longest river entirely within the state of Texas. Powerful and temperamental, it meanders 840 miles from Lubbock to the Gulf of Mexico. Home to blue herons, white egrets, hawks, and golden eagles, its flow and color change (clear,

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