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Parents can experience what life is like as a "Baylor Bear" through various traditions and activities as Baylor University hosts 2008 Parents Weekend on Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11, on the Baylor campus.

Faber and Roxanna Connally McMullen never forgot the stalwart commitment of Baylor faculty. After all, it was Baylor faculty who laid the groundwork for Dr. Faber McMullen Jr.'s career as a respected cardiologist. The McMullen-Connally Faculty Center, complete with the McMullen-Connally Family Art Collection, was dedicated Oct. 3, in tribute to the McMullens' parents, as well as professors who went the extra mile to serve students.

The Baylor University Libraries dedicated the Ray I. Riley Digitization Center and the Dottie S. Riley Conference Room during a ceremony on Oct. 3. The facilities' completion marks a significant step forward in the digitization capabilities of Baylor Libraries.

Baylor Law School has awarded its prestigious Leon Jaworski Scholarship to Elena Cincione of Chicago. The full-tuition scholarship, named for the Baylor Law alumnus who served as Special Prosecutor during the Watergate crisis, is awarded to incoming law students who have outstanding records in advocacy programs, such as debate, mock trial and moot court.

Mike Blackman, a Baylor University journalism graduate and veteran reporter and editor, has joined his alma mater as the Fred Hartman Distinguished Professor of Journalism. As the newest addition to the journalism department, Blackman will bring in several prestigious speakers throughout the year.

Baylor University has enrolled 14,541 students, the largest overall enrollment in university history, according to official 12th-day enrollment statistics compiled by the Office of Institutional Research and Testing. The university also enrolled its second largest and most diverse freshman class, as well as record numbers of students in the Graduate School and George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

Dedicated Baylor University alumnus and former trustee Milfred Lewis of Missouri City, Texas, passed away Sept. 2 in Houston. A lifelong leader, he advanced Baylor through his generous philanthropy to the university, including the naming gift for the Lewis Art Building of the Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center in the late 1970s, as well as nine years of service on the Board of Trustees.

The Baylor University Student Foundation recently was selected as the 2008 Association of Student Advancement Programs' (ASAP) Outstanding Student Foundation. The announcement was made during the 2008 ASAP Network Convention in Salt Lake City.

Dr. Howard K. Batson, chairman of the Baylor University Board of Regents, announced today the appointment of Dr. David E. Garland as interim president of Baylor University. Garland will succeed Harold R. Cunningham, who has been acting president since July 2008.

Husband-and-wife deans at Baylor University, David and Diana Garland, have joined seminary and social work forces and been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to educate and equip indigenous church leaders for effective, holistic ministry in their home cultures.

Before America's Super Bowl every year, there's one question as anticipated as the game itself: who will sing the national anthem? So who will perform the national anthem (or anthems) before Sunday's finals of the European Soccer Championship, a worldwide stage that rivals the Super Bowl? Texas native and Baylor University graduate Eddie Gauntt will perform the German national anthem before Sunday's internationally televised match in Vienna between Germany and Spain.

A Baylor University language and literacy program has received a generous gift of $82,000 from Waco Scottish Rite.

Three Baylor University students - including one who has been awarded the prestigious honor for the second consecutive year - have received Critical Language Scholarships to study in Russia during a two-month intensive program this summer.

Baylor University has received a $200,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to conduct the first national research on clergy sexual abuse of adults. The unprecedented initiative - announced by Dr. Diana Garland, dean of Baylor's School of Social Work and director of the study - will help communities and congregations develop new practices and policies to prevent clergy sexual abuse and ensure that survivors receive appropriate care.

The Baylor University Board of Regents at its spring meeting today approved a $366 million operating budget for 2008-09. The board also elected Dr. Howard K. Batson of Amarillo to serve a one-year term as chair, effective June 1. Donell Teaff of Waco was elected vice chair. Regents also approved two new degree programs - a bachelor of science in computing (BSC) degree and a nurse midwifery doctorate in nursing practice (NM/DNP) degree.

Two Baylor University seniors - Lauren Hughes of Cedar Creek Lake and Cleyera Martin of Kemp - have been selected to receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, bringing the number of Baylor students who have received the honor since 2001 to 14. The flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, the Fulbright Program is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."

Two recent Baylor Law graduates were among the top three scorers on the February 2008 Texas Bar Exam. Thomas Keane of Dallas received the second highest score on the exam, while Ashley DeForest of Houston received the third highest score. Stephen Shackelford Jr., who received his law degree from Harvard, was the top scorer.

Residents in some rural Texas counties with a small population are less likely to be issued a severe thunderstorm warning by the National Weather Service than if they live in an urban county with a large population, even though the storm's intensity might be the same. That's just one of the findings from a Baylor University study looking at the issuance of severe weather reports and severe thunderstorm warnings over a 20-year period.

Baylor freshmen Amanda Mitchell and Samantha Stephenson won second place in the Spring 2008 Capsim Foundation(R) International Challenge, a global online business simulation competition designed to teach the essential elements of running a business. Each participating team ran a $40 million company for five to eight years in the online simulation, which emphasizes finance, cause and effect relationships between functional areas, competitive analysis and satisfying customer demand.

The Martin Museum of Art at Baylor University has been chosen as the recipient of the 2008 Exhibition Award by the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA). The announcement was made at the organization's annual symposium held April 12-13 in Fort Worth.

Catherine Sykes, a Baylor University graduate student in social work from Glen Allen, Va., received inspiration for her research project while sitting at breakfast one morning. Because she had at one time suffered from an eating disorder, and saw many of her friends still suffering, she wondered what she could do to address the situation. Her cereal box gave her the answer.

Two Baylor Law School students who will clerk for the Texas Supreme Court will take part in commencement exercises this Saturday. Josh Fogelman and Jeff Watters, who will begin their clerkships in the fall, are part of a graduating class of 70 students who will receive their juris doctor degrees at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3, in Jones Concert Hall at the Glennis McCrary Music Building on the Baylor campus.

Dr. Robert Darden, associate professor of journalism at Baylor University, has been selected for the 2008 Baylor Centennial Professor award, which will allow him to research black gospel artists and the effects of their music on the Civil Rights Movement. The award coincides with Darden's work on Baylor's Black Gospel Music Restoration Project.

Baylor University's Board of Regents today approved the construction of the $1.3 million Carlile Geology Research Building, which will be built adjacent to the Baylor Sciences Building. Regents today also approved a new research institute and two doctoral degree programs, as the university continues to add to its research infrastructure.

Baylor University alumna and former Baylor First Lady Mary Russell McCall was presented with one of the university's most distinguished awards - the Baylor University Founders Medallion - during the Jan. 28 Founders Day ceremony in Waco Hall. Established in 1969, the Founders Medal is reserved for men and women whose service and contributions have been unusually significant to the life and future of the university.

Baylor University has named Dr. Stephen D. Davis, Distinguished Professor of Biology at Pepperdine University, as the 2008 recipient of the

Baylor University offices and campus facilities will vary their regular operating hours during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. University administrative offices, with the exception of the development office and other essential services, will be closed for the Christmas break Dec. 22-Jan. 1.

Baylor University's Class of 2008 represents students from different backgrounds, majors, organizations and ambitions. However, these students are united by more than a common graduation year, as more than 84 percent of Baylor students receive financial aid of some kind to attend Baylor. Starting this year, Baylor's senior class gift will establish and support an endowed scholarship fund that will allow more students to experience Baylor, thanks to Baylor students who went before them.

After nearly a decade in the making, the 9-foot-tall, 1,200-pound Pyfer bear sculpture has a new home in front of Baylor University's McLane Student Life Center. The bronze sculpture, created by Dr. Douglas W. Crow, professor of German and sculptor-in-residence at Baylor, and funded through a generous gift by Carol (Trice) and John F. Pyfer of Lancaster, Pa., was installed Nov. 12 in the island circle in front of the SLC.

Baylor University announced today a $5 million gift from Clifton and Betsy Robinson of Waco that will provide the financial means for some of the nation's highest achieving high school students to obtain a top education at Baylor.

Russell and Betty Pilcher of Highlands Ranch, Colo., were honored as Baylor University's Parents of the Year for 2007, during the halftime ceremony of the Baylor vs. Colorado football game Oct. 6 in Waco, Texas.

Longtime Baylor University supporter and Alumna Honoris Causa Eula Mae Baugh passed away Aug. 29 in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 89. Baugh and her late husband, John F. Baugh, were ardent supporters of Baylor. From serving in volunteer and leadership roles for the university to generous financial support, the Baughs left an indelible impression on the University and the Texas Baptist community.

The Baylor University Board of Regents concluded its three-day July retreat on Friday, approving the formation of the Baylor Advanced Research Institute (BARI) and upgrading the medical humanities program, and announced Baylor's plans to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first Baptist churches with a year-long celebration beginning in fall 2008.

Baylor University announced today a $1.2 million gift from the estate of John Reagan Harris of Center, Texas, that will establish the John Reagan Harris Endowed Scholarship Fund, as well as the John Reagan Harris Endowed Music Ministry Excellence Fund within the Baylor School of Music's Center for Christian Music Studies.

Jack Folmar, a former Baylor University trustee and regent designated an Alumnus Honoris Causa for his dedication to the university, died Monday, July 9, in Dallas. A memorial service for Folmar will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, July 13, at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, with a reception immediately following.

Dr. David Garland, dean of Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, has announced the appointment of Dr. Dennis Tucker, associate professor of Christian scripture, as associate dean of the seminary.

Baylor University is among the most productive research universities in the nation, according to a new study released by Academic Analytics, a corporation based in Stony Brook, N.Y. that measures faculty scholarly productivity. Baylor also placed in the top 10 among large research universities in Texas, defined as institutions with 15 or more Ph.D. programs across multiple disciplines.

A physical monument is in place for the first time in Baylor University history to honor the memory of 10 students, known as the Immortal Ten, who died in a tragic accident near Austin more than 80 years ago.

Baylor University has added another Fulbright Scholar to its growing number of students who have received the prestigious honor. Joy McCullough, a recent University Scholar graduate from Los Alamos, N.M., will study aquatic toxicology in Finland beginning this fall on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Baylor University President John M. Lilley released the following statement today about the passing of Ruth Graham, wife of renowned evangelist Billy Graham and mother of Baylor regent Anne Graham Lotz.

Love letters written by a Civil War soldier in the early 1860s have crossed into the digital age, thanks to a local physician and the Baylor University Electronic Library.

A $250,000 gift from Don A. and Ruth Vernon Buchholz of Dallas brought Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing Simulator Fund halfway to its goal - and comes with a challenge for other School of Nursing supporters to fully fund the $500,000 project.

Longtime Baylor University supporter Anna Elizabeth Sturgis Jeanes died at her home in Waco on June 6. Jeanes was a beloved wife, friend, community leader and member of the Baylor family.

Following services this morning at First Baptist Church of Waco for Baylor University President Emeritus Herbert H. Reynolds, the funeral procession of vehicles will proceed during the noon hour through the Baylor campus. The procession will travel along on Fifth Street to Oakwood Cemetery.

The Texas House of Representatives honored Baylor University President Emeritus Herbert H. Reynolds on Saturday, May 26, with a memorial resolution, HCR 277 by Rep. Jim Dunnam (BBA '86, JD '87). Both the House and Senate then adjourned in Reynolds' honor.

Baylor University President Emeritus Herbert H. Reynolds, the 11th president of Texas' oldest continuously operating university, died suddenly May 25 in Angel Fire, N.M. He was 77.

Baylor University's Mayborn Museum Complex is pleased to announce its 2007 summer traveling exhibit - Wrapped in Tradition: The Chihuly Collection of American Indian Trade Blankets - which will be on display in the Thomas E. and Emilyne Weed Anding Traveling Exhibit Gallery at the museum from May 20-Aug. 18.

The Baylor University Board of Regents at its spring meeting today approved a $345 million operating budget for 2007-08. The board also elected officers, heard an alumni report and celebrated the groundbreakings of two significant facilities to be built on the Baylor campus.

Baylor University will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the McMullen-Connally Faculty Center at 2 p.m. Friday, May 11, at the construction site on South Fifth Street between Speight and Bagby Avenues. A reception will follow immediately in the Ed Crenshaw Student Foundation Center.

Baylor University will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the $34 million Alwin O. and Dorothy Highers Athletics Complex and the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 10, at the construction site on University Parks Drive, near the Baylor Marina, bringing Baylor's football operations back to campus for the first time in the modern era.

Raising a five-figure dollar amount is a challenge. Raising it in small increments, at a suggested $25 per gift, is even more difficult. However, that is exactly what the Baylor class of 2007 did, and on April 24, they dedicated their senior class gift - landscaping the Draper/Old Main Complex courtyards.

In recognition of their vision, leadership and generosity to the university, Baylor University honored Ken and Celia Carlile of Marshall with the dedication of the Ken and Celia Carlile Atrium in the Baylor Sciences Building during a ceremony on April 25.

Longtime Baylor University servant-leader Dorothy Barfield Kronzer died April 14 at the age of 84. Kronzer's 67-year relationship with Baylor was characterized by her dedication to leadership positions on the Board of Trustees and Alumni Association executive board and her faithful philanthropy to the university.

Baylor University announced today that the university's Martin Museum of Art and Mayborn Museum's Traveling Exhibit Program will benefit from an endowment funded by the Virginia Frances Webb estate.

The Baylor University Board of Regents at its February meeting today approved plans to construct the Alwin O. and Dorothy Highers Athletics Complex and the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center, a $34 million complex that will integrate the Baylor athletics department and football program into the campus environment for the first time in the modern era.

Baylor University President John M. Lilley announced today the appointment of Dr. Karla Leeper as chief of staff, effective June 1. Leeper, who currently serves as associate professor and acting chair of the department of communication studies, will succeed Professor Michael D. Morrison, who is returning to teaching duties at Baylor Law School.

Under the landmark Brooks arch, with nine members of the Samuel Palmer Brooks family looking on, Baylor University broke ground May 12 on Brooks Village, the university's newest residential community that is expected to open in fall 2007.

Baylor University will hold two dedication ceremonies today (Friday, April 28).

With all the tradition and pageantry of a time-honored ceremony, Baylor University inaugurated John Mark Lilley as the institution's 13th president April 21 in the Ferrell Center on the Baylor campus. The ceremony, which included performances from the School of Music and a keynote address from Newsweek Managing Editor Jon Meacham, is available via streaming video at

The Baylor University Board of Regents at its spring meeting today approved a $317 million operating budget for 2006-07 and authorized the construction of a new facility off of University Parks Drive for the university's intercollegiate equestrian program.

Baylor University President John M. Lilley announced today the appointment of Dr. J. Randall O'Brien as executive vice president and provost, effective immediately. O'Brien has served as interim vice president for academic affairs and provost since June 1, 2005.

James L. (Skip) Rutherford, the "major mover" behind the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., will visit Baylor University on Wednesday, May 3, to discuss the value and impact of a presidential library on a local community.

Baylor University presented the 2006 Milton T. Gregory Distinguished Service Award to Carroll and Aline Groner Webb of Waco, during the April 8 meeting of the Baylor Development Council.

In appreciation of his loyal support and commitment to Baylor University, Troy M. Mays of Amarillo, Texas, received one of the most distinguished awards given by Baylor - the 2006 Founders Medal - at a ceremony Jan. 30 at Baylor.

Baylor University Board of Regents Chairman Will Davis of Austin has appointed David Sibley to chair an eight-member Presidential Inauguration Committee to oversee plans for the April installation of Dr. John M. Lilley as the university's 13th president.

Baylor University has enrolled a total of 13,019 students for the spring 2006 semester, an increase of more than 300 students over last spring's enrollment, according to official 12th-day enrollment statistics compiled by the Office of Institutional Research and Testing.

Baylor University's investment return rate of 14.2 percent on its endowment for fiscal year 2005 ranked the university in the top 6 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities (44th out of nearly 750 institutions), according to information released Jan. 23 by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

On Jan. 20, the Baylor Alumni Association will bestow the Distinguished Alumni Award upon four Baylor graduates -- Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, Dr. William T. McKinney Jr., Judge Priscilla Richman Owen and Gary Keller -- at a black-tie banquet in the Cashion Academic Center on the Baylor campus. Presented annually since 1965, the prestigious award has honored governors and scientists, artists and denominational leaders, and educators and entrepreneurs.

Baylor University's 13th President, Dr. John M. Lilley, officially began his Baylor presidency on Jan. 1, with a busy week that had Baylor's leader traveling from coast to coast on behalf of his alma mater.

Three of Baylor University's resident "sticklers" for correct punctuation will lead book reviews and discussion groups this fall on Eats, Shoots & Leaves, the runaway bestseller written by the witty British author Lynne Truss.

The Baylor University Board of Regents by acclamation today appointed William D. Underwood, The Leon Jaworski Chair in Practice and Procedure at Baylor Law School, as interim president, effective June 1. On that date, Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. will transition to chancellor.

Baylor University's Board of Regents today approved a 2005-06 fiscal year budget of $296 million - a 4.15 percent, or $11.8 million, increase over the current operating budget. Including scholarship funds, the total budget for the next fiscal year is $364 million.

Baylor faculty, staff and students are invited to the groundbreaking of the Ed Crenshaw Student Foundation Center at 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, at the construction site on South Fifth Street between Speight and Bagby avenues.

Baylor University presented the Milton T. Gregory Distinguished Service Award to Richard (Dick) and Jan Cales Graves of Waco, during the April 16 meeting of the Baylor Development Council.

The Baylor University campus is in full bloom, thanks to a generous donation from a retired Baylor professor that has established magnificent new gardens in the heart of campus.

Baylor University announced unrelated gifts from two separate anonymous donors on April 11 that will provide for the establishment of endowed chairs in the School of Social Work and George W. Truett Theological Seminary, in honor of Baylor husband and wife scholars Drs. Diana and David Garland.

The 2006 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools" announced today by U.S.News & World Report ranks Baylor Law School's trial advocacy program as the sixth best in the nation, while Baylor's School of Education is one of only four Texas schools to make it into the magazine's "Top Education Programs" listing.

Dr. Julie Sweet, assistant professor of history, and her husband, Dr. Thomas Riley, have been appointed to serve as faculty members in residence at Baylor University's North Village Residential Community in May.

Baylor University welcomed President George W. Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin on March 23 for meetings the leaders said provide a framework for the next generation of trilateral relations between the North American countries.

Baylor University has announced an $850,000 gift from Ed and Denise Crenshaw of Lakeland, Fla., that will provide for the construction of a Student Foundation building and student scholarships.

Student Foundation will sponsor Bearathon, a 13.1 mile half-marathon, for Baylor University students, faculty and staff and members of the Waco community at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 5.

Amarillo residents and Baylor University graduates Randy and Stacy Sharp were honored as Baylor's Parents of the Year for 2004, during the halftime ceremony of the Baylor-North Texas football game Sept. 25.

After seven years of planning and two years of construction, Baylor University formally dedicated its world-class science teaching and research facility - the $103.3 million Baylor Sciences Building - during a ceremony Sept. 24 on the magnificent building's outdoor plaza.

ATHENS, Greece - Baylor junior Jeremy Wariner ran a personal best 44.00 to win the gold medal in the 400 meters and lead the United States to a sweep in the event at the Olympic Games Monday at Olympic Stadium.

Baylor University's engineering program climbed impressively to rank as the nation's 14th best in the 2005 edition of America's Best Colleges, released Aug. 20 by U.S.News & World Report.

Researchers and the public will get their first look at the papers of the late Texas statesman and Baylor University law graduate Bob Bullock, when the Bullock Archive opens July 12 in the Baylor Collections of Political Materials.

Theatrical and concert producers know they have a hit on their hands when they see the words "sold out." Baylor University's Honors College has topped the charts with the new Honors College Living/Learning Center. All 340 spaces in the center are filled and a waiting list has been started.

Baylor's commitment to provide an academically sound and integrated education has placed the school at the top of its class. According to a study on general education requirements conducted in April by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Baylor is the only school to earn an "A."

The Baylor Sciences Building finally has its first residents, as Baylor scientists began moving their offices June 1 to the 508,000-square-foot facility.

Senior Matias Marin's service ace clinched Baylor University's first-ever NCAA title, as the Bears (32-2) rolled over UCLA 4-0 in the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships May 25 at the University of Tulsa.

Baylor University's Board of Regents today approved a 2004-05 fiscal year budget of $341 million - a 9.1 percent, or $28.5 million increase over the current operating budget - and elected Will Davis of Austin as board chair. Jim Turner of Dallas was elected vice chair.

After two years of construction - both inside and out - Baylor University formally dedicated its much-anticipated Sue and Frank Mayborn Natural Science and Cultural History Museum Complex before hundreds of well-wishers on May 14.

After two years of construction and preparation, Baylor University will formally dedicate its much-anticipated Sue and Frank Mayborn Natural Science and Cultural History Museum Complex at 2 p.m. Friday, May 14.

Baylor University announced today a lead gift from the Bill and Eva Williams family of Scottsdale, Ariz., that will move the Bear Habitat expansion and renovation project halfway to its goal of $950,000.

America's top graduate programs include several at Baylor University, according to U.S.News & World Report in its "2005 Best Graduate School" rankings released today.

After two years of construction and preparation, the new Mayborn Museum Complex will open its doors to the public on May 22. Designed for the entire family, the complex on the Baylor University campus will bring together a wealth of experiential learning opportunities for visitors of all ages.