John S. Tanner is a name that has been somewhat lost in Baylor’s long-reaching history. However, this man not only left a lasting legacy at the University but was also almost its president.
From his first year at Baylor, Tanner marked himself as a studious man. He was always reading and studying and was even known to have his nose stuck in a book as he walked to and from class.
Tanner was a ministry student, and at the time, ministry students were allowed a more relaxed curriculum than others. But Tanner would hear none of that and insisted that those preparing for the church should be just as educated as any other student. Alongside his ministerial classes, he also dedicated himself to math, science, and classical language.
After graduating, Tanner married and returned to Baylor to teach. He ran a strict classroom and demanded a lot from his students, pushing them to excel. While teaching, Tanner’s first wife grew ill and passed away. After her death, he enrolled in Southern Seminary and married a Baylor graduate three years later.
The couple moved to Chicago, where Tanner undertook further studies in Greek and Hebrew. In 1896, he was persuaded to return to Baylor as a member of the faculty and also accepted a pastoral position in East Waco.
Tanner had ambitious plans for Baylor’s continued development – plans to make Baylor an academic and research powerhouse. He was on track to succeed Oscar Henry Cooper as Baylor’s president. But tragically, Tanner passed at age 31 from the combined effects of influenza, an abscessed tooth, and a weak heart.
The presidency ultimately went to Tanner’s dear friend and former student, Samuel Palmer Brooks, who would go on to guide the University through the next three decades.
But Tanner’s Baylor legacy lived on. Both his son, John S. Tanner Jr., and grandson, John S. Tanner III, attended the University, carrying with them Tanner’s love and passion for Baylor.
