We asked retiring faculty and senior staff members to reflect on their most enduring memory at Baylor. We received responses from 16 of them and are recognizing the rest with a reminder of how they served Baylor and its students.
Cynthia Ann Burgess was Librarian/Curator for Armstrong Browning Library.
My enduring memory of Baylor would have to be the wonderful people with whom I have had the honor to work and interact for the past nearly 29 years- bright students, caring administrators, faculty, and staff, and engaged alumni. It is the people who make Baylor an outstanding institution and a great place to work.
Dick Campbell was at Baylor for 11 years as a senior lecturer in mechanical engineering and assistant chairman of the School of Engineering and Computer Science. He came to Baylor with 36 years of military aircraft operations, aircraft systems design and manufacturing experience in the Defense industry.
As a professional engineer in the Mechanical Engineering Department, our goal has always been to prepare our young engineers to enter the world and make a difference. Not only did we have an obligation to our students, but to our profession to ensure the highest quality for the next generation. I recall being moved by a freshman engineering student who was about to embark on a mission trip to Kenya to install electrical equipment in a slum in Nairobi. He was participating because he “never knew he could use his skills of math and science to do mission work”. I’m proud that we could instill those kinds of values in our students, and give them the opportunities to use their skills. Although not a Baylor graduate, I have come to admire and embrace Baylor’s mission. It is a community of scholars and friends that I will cherish forever.
Mary Witte ’78, MSEd’93, Ph.D’97, was a senior lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction for 18 years.
My enduring memory of Baylor is the people, and it is the people I will miss. One predictable, and steady memory is that the kind, caring people I met as a student, are the same kind, caring people with whom I worked. It was a pleasure and an honor to continue to welcome students to the Baylor Family during my 18 years of teaching in the Baylor School of Education.
Lisa Baker ’76 was a clinical professor in the Honors College from 2007 to 2017.
My enduring memories of Baylor always involve the privilege of sharing life with our extraordinary students. I loved teaching them pathophysiology, sometimes in Maastricht, having challenging conversations about science and faith over tea, seeing sick patients with them in a remote Kenyan village as we collected research data to improve our ability to serve, and struggling with the meaning of devastating poverty as we wept over a suffering child. The opportunity to interact with many of the same students in all of these varied settings is unique to Baylor. What an astonishing place!
Mary Nichols came to Baylor as chair of the Political Science department in 2004, taught a range of classes, and also served as a director and associate director of the Graduate Program from 2010 until her retirement.
Some of my fondest memories of my time at Baylor were the dinners for graduating PhDs hosted by the Graduate Dean, Larry Lyon, the night before graduation. The dinners were a time to celebrate the achievements of our PhD candidates with their parents and other relatives, and an opportunity for them to see just important those achievements were to Baylor. Dean Lyon’s stirring speeches about the place of graduate education in a research university were always one of the highlights of the evening. They made me proud to be at Baylor.
Colene Coldwell, MBA ’98, was a Senior Lecturer for 18 years in the Department of Finance, Insurance & Real Estate.
While working towards my MBA at Baylor, I quickly grew to love the Mission of this Baptist institution. My undergraduate work was at a school that was secular in every way. Being able to pray before class or to hear professors and students openly discuss their faith was a breath of fresh air. It was the Christian mission and the students that it attracted that kept me at Baylor for nearly two decades. During my time at Baylor I was able to teach students in several areas of business: Entrepreneurship, MIS and Finance and to travel to Africa with students and observe firsthand the intersection of business and faith. I will sincerely miss office hours filled with the discussion of faith, finance and the future. It was a blessing to walk with these students and make a small contribution to their futures. These memories are a treasure that I will carry with me as I move to the next step in my life.
Richard Duhrkopf was a professor of biology whose research specialty was mosquito biology.
Michael Frisch was a professor of psychology.
D. Thomas Hanks was professor of English and was recognized as a Master Teacher.
I was a member of Baylor’s English Department from 1976 until summer 2017.I had many treasured colleagues there and elsewhere at Baylor, but my enduring memory will be
largely confined to students in various classes – as in my Classics of Children’s Literature class in Spring 2016, a remarkably friendly, intellectually lively group of students, commenting freely and perceptively on the readings. I’ve only mentioned one class here: I could mention 50 and more. I know it’s a cliche, but it’s also true: The students made teaching here not only memorable but part of my life for which I’m deeply grateful. I hope I gave them something: they surely gave me a great deal.
Sharon Johnson was a senior lecturer in the Spanish Department.
Mary Ann Manning Jordan ’70 was a Clinical Professor of Educational Leadership. At Baylor she served as an elected faculty member on the Baylor University Faculty Senate and trained principals for work in public schools in Texas through the School of Education’s Graduate Program.
William May ’69 was Dean of the School of Music and Professor of Music Education for 17 years.
Like many of my colleagues in leadership at Baylor, I grew up here as an undergraduate and returned here to culminate my career with the honor of being a dean. I attended virtually every Baylor commencement to lead the music therein. Commencement never ceased to be exciting to me. Each semester to see that throng of terrific people so well prepared to go and do great things gave me, on behalf of my entire faculty, a sense of great accomplishment. I learned long ago that, in higher education leadership, the best course is to surround yourself with extraordinarily talented, smart people, help them as much as possible, and then just stay out of their way.
David Swenson was the George G. Kelly Professor of Law in the Baylor Law School, where he’s been a faculty member since 1982.
My enduring memories of my 35 years as a Baylor Law Professor revolve around my time spent with my students, Not unusual, since they are the reason we all went into teach-ing. My most recent special memory is of my very last class in Intellectual Property. Arriving to teach my final class, l discovered my students had planned a surprise party. Food and beverage items had been brought that matched up with various trademark law examples that I had used throughout the course. My students had made my final class especially memorable for me!
David Kemerling was chaplain and coordinator of student ministries at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
Mary Lynn Klingman was a senior lecturer in the English Department and director of the Writing Center.
Patrick Lea ’74 spent seven years in the Mechanical Engineering Department and retired as a Senior Lecturer.
About three years ago, one of my students was in my office in the Rogers Engineering Building, talking about the challenges of being a Mechanical Engineering student. She asked me to describe my experience as an engineering student at Baylor, Because there was no Engineering and Computer Science School when I graduated from Baylor in 1974, I said to her, “Well, you see, I didn’t earn my engineering degree here. In fact,” I said, gesturing around my office, “this wasn’t here when I graduated. None of this even existed when I graduated.” She leaned slowly back in her chair, gave me a knowing look, and then said in a very self-assured tone, “Oh, yes, I know. You were at Independence.”
John D. Martin held the Carr P. Collins chair in Finance in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University from June 1998 through August 2017. John taught in the Baylor Executive MBA programs in both Austin and Dallas and was three times selected as the outstanding professor.
As I think about it, coming to Baylor was my destiny. I talked to Baylor three times over my career before deciding the time was right. Although I did not attend Baylor as a student I felt I knew what the institution was like for I knew a lot about it by meeting some of its faculty and alumni. What I found was an institution that takes the long view of life and work. Ours is a journey that includes a time of work but much more. And that has made all the difference to me.
Pattie Orr was vice president for information technology and dean of Universities Libraries.
Barbalee Symm was director of the Health Science Studies Program within the Department of Health, Human Performance & Recreation.
My time at Baylor began in 1999, well after I was old enough to “retire.” Never, in my wildest dreams, did I imagine I would teach at Baylor. My being here was a God thing, and so sweet in countless ways. First of all, my husband and children are all Aggies. My poor mom suffered alone and quietly with all the sports hoopla, since she attended Baylor, and got her feathers ruffled frequently by the family-friendly teasing. Oh my, did she ever feel exonerated as I began my time here. As she aged into her early to middle nineties, she frequently promoted me.
Before she died last December at 95, she was telling anyone who would listen that I personally ran Baylor University. I found great happiness here in encouraging our students who were not always the sparklers, but were definitely called to a field in healthcare. Watching these children step up to the plate and take the challenge successfully to compete for a coveted seat in a healthcare professional program was phenomenal. I believe each student here is appointed to be here for a specific purpose – to develop personally, preparing to become salt and light in a very dark world. They will touch many lives in eternally important ways. That means our interactions with our students are critically important, and I am so happy to have been appointed here for such a time as this. Passing the torch is but another step that God has directed, and I know He will continue to bless, develop, and use our students for their good and for His own glory.
Lois Ferguson was manager of commencement and facilities planning.
My tenure at Baylor was different than those faculty members who likely worked in a single department during their time at the university. In my 28 years at Baylor I worked in Public
Relations (now known as Marketing and Communication), Student Life (where I produced All University Sing, Pigskin Revue and After Dark, as well as completing a master’s degree), the
Dean’s office for the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of the Provost (where I began working with Commencement), then Facilities, University Host, back to Facilities and finally returning to the Provost office. It didn’t matter which department or university division I worked with, I found great people, wonderful students and a deep sense of mission throughout the university. I have never regretted being a part of Baylor, even through trying and difficult times.
David Pennington was a professor of Chemistry. He was named Outstanding Baylor University Professor in 1982 and a Master Teacher in 1993.
Bill Petty was a professor of Finance and the W.W. Caruth Chairholder of Entrepreneurship. He was named Outstanding Professor at the Hankamer School of Business in 1997 and Distinguished Professor at Hankamer in 2001; Outstanding Baylor University Professor in 1998, and a Master Teacher in 2004. He was also named National Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year by the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence in 2008.
Phil Van Auken was a professor of Management and was recognized with an Outstanding Teacher Award in 2003.
Patricia Tolbert ’74, MS ’75, was director of Assessment and Compliance in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness for 10 of her 17 years at Baylor.
I still have my slime cap from the fall of 1971- thanks to my mother, who saves everything. My most enduring image of Baylor is the caliber of students. I taught one class each semester, and I was always impressed with how passionate and committed our students are about making a difference in the world.
Georgia Green was Professor of Music Education and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Music.
Jeter Basden ‘68 served at Baylor for 28 years as a professor of Religion and Director of Ministry Guidance. He held the Raymond O. Hubler Chair of Ministry Guidance.
My enduring memory of Baylor will always be her students. I was blessed to teach undergraduates called to vocational Christian ministry who now serve around the world as local church pastors and ministers, missionaries, and parachurch ministry leaders. They are a constant source of encouragement to me.
D.E. Mungello was a Professor of History for 22 years, specializing in Chinese history.
I arrived on campus to join the History faculty in August of 1994, just in time to see the Baylor football program begin its slow descent into a hell reminiscent of Dante’s inferno. Later I had the pleasure of seeing the program climb back to victory after victory over the next 20 years. And then came the excruciating experience of seeing it crash to the ground in May of 2016. So on April 22nd 2017, I was one of several thousand fans in the McLane Stadium watching a rebirth that was as much spiritual as physical. At the end of the Green and Gold scrimmage, all the players came over to shake hands and thank us for coming. The faces of these young men were filled with hope. Like all of us, they were seeking redemption. It is my enduring memory of Baylor.
