List of Baylor University people

The list of Baylor University people includes notable alumni, faculty, and former students of Baylor University.

Alumni

Medal of Honor recipients

• Jack Lummus
• John R. Kane

Academics

• William Bennett Bizzell – Fifth president of the University of Oklahoma and president of Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University)
• Jerry Cain – President of Judson University in Elgin, IL
• Claybrook Cottingham (Doctor of Divinity) – President of Louisiana College (1910–1941) and Louisiana Tech University (1941–until his death in 1949)
• Gilberto Freyre – Brazilian sociologist, cultural anthropologist and historian.
• George E. Hearn – Psychologist at Louisiana College; member of the Pineville, Louisiana, City Council
• Guy Benton Johnson – Sociologist and cultural anthropologist. He was a distinguished student of black culture in the rural South and a pioneer advocate of racial equality.
• Glenn McGee – American professor of medicine, philosophy, law and public health
• Royce Money – President of Abilene Christian University
• Lawrence Sullivan Ross – President of Texas A&M University (1891–1898), and Governor of Texas (1887–1891)
• Walter Splawn – Economist and President of the University of Texas
• Jean A. Stuntz – Historian
• Dallas Willard – Philosopher

Arts and entertainment

• Nancy Barrett – American actress, best known for her roles in the soap opera Dark Shadows
• Crystal Bernard – Singer & actress who starred in the television series Wings
• David Burrows – Film and television producer, director and writer
• Carole Cook – Actress, Broadway and film
• David Crowder Band – Contemporary Christian worship/rock group
• Jim Dickinson – Record producer, singer and pianist
• Monroe E. Dodd – Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana, from 1912–1950, the former Dodd College for Girls, and pioneer radio minister
• Phil Driscoll – Grammy-winning singer/trumpet player
• Jeff Dunham – Award-winning ventriloquist and comedian
• Robert Fulghum – Best-selling author, philosopher
• Bruce Greer – Award-winning composer
• Shaun Groves – Contemporary Christian musician, singer, songwriter [1]
• Derek Haas – Author/Screenwriter
• Jack Hamm – Author of acclaimed drawing books, cartoonist
• John Lee Hancock – Director of The Alamo; producer of My Dog Skip
• Robin Hardy – Author of numerous books including The Annals of Lystra: Chataine's Guardian
• Thomas Harris – Best-selling author of Silence of the Lambs
• Mark Hayes – Christian music vocal and instrumental arranger
• Jack Hurst – Actor on The Cleaner, The Mist, and Walking Tall 3
• Brett James – Country music singer and songwriter.
• Julie Kenner – Author and former lawyer
• Angela Kinsey – Actress
• Clancy Martin – Novelist and philosopher
• Erin McCarley – Songwriter-Musician, Universal Republic Artist
• Austin Miller – Actor, dancer, and singer on Grease: You're The One That I Want
• Willie Nelson – Country music star and winner of six Grammys
• Eddie Noack – Country musisc singer and songwriter
• Grady Nutt – Pastor, humorist and television personality; regular on Hee Haw (1979–83).
• David Phelps – Tenor for the Gaither Vocal Band
• Derek Phillips, III – Actor [2]
• Alfred Reed – Composer and conductor
• Kevin Reynolds – Film director
• Maddy Rosenberg – Artist NYC
• Paul Smith – Singer/songwriter, member of The Imperials
• Suzy Spencer – True Crime Writer
• Robert Sterling – Songwriter, produce, arranger
• Steven Stucky – Pulitzer Prize winner for music
• David Sullivan – Film and television actor
• Alex Cole Taylor – Actor, acting teacher, director
• Allen Wier – Writer
• Noble Willingham – Television and film actor
• Jennifer Vasquez – Actress and contestant on season six of Big Brother
• Roxanne Wilson – Finalist on season five of The Apprentice

Baptist leaders

• George Washington Baines (1809–1882) – Baptist clergyman in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas; maternal great-grandfather of Lyndon B. Johnson
• B. H. Carroll (1843–1914) – First president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Russell H. Dilday – Baptist pastor (Tallowood Baptist Church and others), author, educator, former President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of Texas Monthly's "Texas Twenty"
• James T. Draper, Jr. – Pastor of First Baptist Euless (1975–1991) and president of Southern Baptist LifeWay Resources (1991–2006)
• Kyle Lake – Pastor and leader in the Emerging Church movement
• J. Frank Norris – Popular fundamentalist Baptist preacher and controversial critic of Baylor University embracing evolution in the 1920s
• Paul Powell – Dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary, pastor, BGCT leader, author
• Harold Philmon Reeves (1923–2009) – First SBC missionary to Thailand
• John R. Rice – Baptist evangelist and pastor and the founding editor of The Sword of the Lord, an influential fundamentalist newspaper
• Lester Roloff – fundamentalist Baptist preacher, storyteller, and author
• George W. Truett – Pastor First Baptist Church Dallas 1897 to 1944, president Baptist World Alliance and Southern Baptist Convention

Business

• Paul Foster – President and CEO of Western Refining
• Thomas W. Horton, CEO of AMR Corporation/American Airlines
• Mark Hurd – Co-president, director and board member of Oracle Corporation
• Gary Keller – Co-founder and chairman of Keller Williams Realty International
• Rebecca Mark – Former head of Enron International
• Bob J. Perry – Founder of Perry Homes
• Drayton McLane, Jr. – Chairman of the McLane Group and former owner of the Houston Astros
• Marjorie Scardino – CEO of Pearson, a major media group; former CEO of the Economist Group; also a non-executive director of Nokia Corporation
• Bob R. Simpson – Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of XTO Energy, a Fortune 500 company, and co-owner of the Texas Rangers
• R. Allen Stanford – Financier, Chairman, Stanford Financial Group, currently under investigation for fraud and money laundering
• Alice Mendell Starr – Spouse of Baylor University president Kenneth Starr
• Bill Townsend – Internet entrepreneur and founder of the Web search engine Lycos, Inc.
• Jim L. Turner – Former CEO of Dr Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group

Journalists

• Richelle Carey – CNN news anchor
• Ayman Safadi - Former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan, Former Director General of The Jordanian TV
• Suzy Spencer – Writer, New York Times Best Seller List
• Trey Wingo – Co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter

Judges and Justices

• Charles Barrow – Former Justice to the Texas Supreme Court and a Dean of Baylor Law School
• Leonard E. Davis – United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas
• Jennifer Elrod – Judge, United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
• Sidney A. Fitzwater – Chief United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas
• James Rodney Gilstrap – United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas
• James Kinkeade – United States Federal Judge for Northern District of Texas
• Thomas R. Phillips – former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas
• Priscilla Owen – Judge, United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, possible nominee to Supreme Court
• Walter Scott Smith, Jr. – Chief United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas
• William Steger – Long serving United States District judge for the Eastern District of Texas, ran unsuccessfully for Texas governor in 1960 and United States House of Representatives in 1962
• Don Willett – Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas

Medical community

• Hallie Earle (1880–1963) – First licensed female physician in Waco, 1902 M.S. from Baylor, only female graduate of 1907 Baylor University Medical School in Dallas.
• H. Bentley Glass – Geneticist and columnist
• Robert W. McCollum (1925–2010) – Virologist who made important discoveries regarding polio and hepatitis.
• W. Roy Smythe – Chairman of Surgery for the Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Health System and professor for the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine

Government

Former Governors of Texas

Lawrence Sullivan Ross, 19th Governor of Texas. Baylor counts more Texas governors among its alumni than any other university.

• Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (attended; did not graduate), 1887–1891
• Pat Morris Neff (AB, 1894), 1921–1925 (later served as President of Baylor from 1932 to 1947)
• Price Daniel, 1957–1963
• Mark White (BA, 1962), 1983–1987
• Ann Richards (BA, 1954), 1991–1995

Members of Congress

• Joseph Cao (BS, 1989) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district (2009–2011), and the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress
• Tom Connally – U.S. Senator from Texas (1929–1953)
• Louie Gohmert (JD, 1977) – U.S. Representative from Texas' 1st congressional district
• Trey Gowdy – U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 4th congressional district
• Sam B. Hall – U.S. Representative from Texas's 1st congressional district (1976–1985)
• Andrew J. Houston – U.S. Senator from Texas (1941); perennial candidate, and son of Texas statesman Sam Houston
• Ernest Istook – U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district (1993–2007)
• Rand Paul – U.S. Senator from Kentucky
• Chip Pickering (MA, 1989) – U.S. Representative from Mississippi's 3rd congressional district (1995–2007)
• William R. Poage – U.S. Representative from Texas's 11th congressional district (1937–1979)
• J. T. Rutherford – U.S. Representative from Texas's 16th congressional district (1955–1963)
• Max Sandlin – U.S. Representative from Texas' 1st Congressional District (1997–2005)

Other Federal, State and Local Officials

• James B. Adams – Texas legislator, and former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Kip Averitt – Former Texas State Senator
• Roy Bass (B.A. and LL.B.) – Mayor of Lubbock from 1974–1978
• Charlotte Beers – American businesswoman and former U.S. Under Secretary of State (2001–2003) (attended; did not graduate)
• Bob Bullock – Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Secretary of State, Texas State Representative
• Victor G. Carrillo – Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission
• Sam Houston Clinton – former Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge. Lawyer represented both atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair and Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed alleged presidential assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald

Speaker pro Tempore, Rep. Craig Eiland, (D) - Galveston.

• Bill Daniel – Former Governor of Guam and Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives
• Price Daniel, Jr. – Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives (1973–1975)
• Craig Eiland – State Representative and Speaker pro Tempore of the Texas House of Representatives [3]
• James Walter Elder – U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 5th congressional district
• Marshall Formby (JD, 1951) – Texas State Senator (1941–1945), later highway commissioner
• Temple Lea Houston – Son of Sam Houston, District Attorney, and state legislator
• Leon Jaworski – Special prosecutor during the Watergate Scandal and one of the first partners of the major international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski
• Julie Myers (BA, 1991) – Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2006–2008)
• Larry Phillips (BBA) – Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2003 from Sherman, Texas
• Joe Rubio, Jr. – District Attorney of Webb and Zapata counties (1989–2008)
• Max Sherman (BA, 1957) – Texas State Senator (1971–1977) and president of West Texas A&M University (1977–1982)
• William S. Sessions – Former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1987–1993)
• David M. Sibley – Texas State Senator (1991–2002) and Mayor of Waco (1987–1988)
• Kirk Watson – Former Austin Mayor, current Texas State Senator
• W. Marvin Watson – Advisor to President Lyndon Johnson and Postmaster General

Scientists

• James R. Heath – Chemist and the Elizabeth W. Gilloon Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology
• William B. Poucher – Numerous awards and designations related to the proliferation of globally accessible technology
• Gordon K. Teal – Worked in early efforts to improve transistors

Athletics

Baseball

• Ken Patterson – Pitcher, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels (MLB) Currently a pitching coach specialist for the Los Angeles Angels
• Pat Combs – Pitcher, first round draft pick for the Philadelphia Phillies, played for the Phillies from 1989 to 1992
• Jason Jennings – Pitcher, Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB)
• Ted Lyons – Pitcher, Chicago White Sox, 1923–1946, member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame
• Drayton McLane, Jr. – Owner of Houston Astros in MLB, major food distribution entrepreneur
• David Murphy – Outfielder, 2003 1st round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox; now with the Texas Rangers
• Kelly Shoppach – Catcher, Tampa Bay Rays (MLB)
• Lee Tunnell – Pitcher, 1982–1989, for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Minnesota Twins.
• Kip Wells – Pitcher, Colorado Rockies (MLB)

Basketball

• Jody Conradt – Legendary women's basketball coach at the University of Texas.
• Carroll Dawson – Former assistant coach and general manager in the NBA; for the Houston Rockets 1980–2007
• Sonja Hogg – Head women's basketball coach at Louisiana Tech and Baylor.
• Vinnie Johnson – Playe for the Detroit Pistons; known as "The Microwave" for being able to come off the bench heated up and ready to play
• Brian Skinner – NBA F/C for the Los Angeles Clippers
• Ekpe Udoh – Sixth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft of the Golden State Warriors
• Micheal Williams – NBA point guard from 1988 to 1999 with the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Toronto Raptors
• Sophia Young – All-Star forward for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA
• Darryl Middleton – American basketball professional player for many European teams.Won the 2002 Euroleague Cup

Football

• Matt Bryant – NFL placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons
• Cotton Davidson – Played and coached at Baylor, quarterback in the NFL and AFL
• Santana Dotson – Defensive Lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers
• Thomas Everett – NFL defensive back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1987–1995
• Theron J. Fouts – University of North Texas baseball, men's basketball, and football head coach
• James Francis – NFL linebacker from 1990–1999 for the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins
• Malcolm Frank – Canadian Football League defensive back
• Hayden Fry – NCAA Division I-A college football coach from 1962 to 1998
• Lester Gatewood – NFL center for the Green Bay Packers
• Dennis Gentry – Baylor University and NFL running back for the Chicago Bears
• Bill Glass – Round 1 draft pick and defensive tackle with the Detroit Lions from 1958 to 1961 and the Cleveland Browns from 1962 to 1968
• Robert Griffin III – Baylor quarterback, 2011 Heisman Trophy Winner
• Greg Hawthorne – NFL running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots
• Jeff Ireland – Kicker at Baylor and General Manager of the Miami Dolphins NFL football club
• Morley Jennings – Head coach at Ouachita Baptist, and Baylor
• Khari Long – Defensive end for the Chicago Bears
• Gerald McNeil – "The Ice Cube", NFL and USFL wide receiver that played in the 1980s
• Jerry Moore – Current head football coach at Appalachian State University
• Mike Nelms – All-pro NFL and CFL defensive back
• J. W. Pender – University of North Texas head coach (1913–1914)
• Luke Prestridge – Former all-pro NFL punter with the Denver Broncos
• John B. Reid – University of North Texas baseball, men's basketball, and football head coach; Texas A&M University men's basketball head coach
• Lloyd Russell – University of North Texas football head coach (1942); Baylor Bears baseball head coach (1940–1941, 1958–1961)
• Del Shofner – NFL split end with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants (1957–1967)
• Mike Singletary – "Samurai" former NFL linebacker & former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers as well as being in the NFL Hall of Fame
• Jack Sisco – University of North Texas men's basketball and football head coach
• Justin Snow – Long snapper for the Indianapolis Colts
• James W. St. Clair – University of North Texas football head coach (1915–1919); Southern Methodist University baseball and men's basketball head coach
• Jack Steadman – Former chairman, vice president, president and general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs
• Don Trull – All American quarterback at Baylor. Played 6 seasons with the AFL Houston Oilers (1964–1969) [4] [5]
• Bob Woodruff – Head coach at University of Florida and athletic director at University of Tennessee

Tennis

• Benjamin Becker – German professional tennis player. Defeated Andre Agassi in Agassi's final match the 2006 U.S. Open

Track and field

• Michael Johnson – Winner of five Olympic gold medals and nine-time world champion
• Jeremy Wariner – Winner of gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece for the individual 400 meter and the 4x400 meter
• Darold Williamson – Winner of a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece in the 4x400 meter

Volleyball

• Laura Daniela Lloreda – Mexican/Puerto Rican volleyball player

Faculty and staff

Administration

• Reddin Andrews – President of Baylor University from 1885 to 1886
• George Washington Baines – Maternal great-grandfather of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson, served briefly as natural science professor and president of Baylor University at its first location in Independence, Texas
• Samuel Palmer Brooks – President of Baylor University from 1902 to 1931
• Rufus Columbus Burleson – President of Baylor University from 1851 to 1861, and again from 1886 to 1897
• Oscar Henry Cooper – President of Baylor University from 1899 to 1902, and of Simmons College, now known as Hardin-Simmons University from 1902 to 1909
• David E. Garland – Interim president of Baylor University 2008 to 2010, and Dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University 2007 to present
• Henry Lee Graves – President of Baylor University from 1846 to 1851
• John M. Lilley – President of the University of Nevada, Reno from 2001 to 2005 and Baylor University from 2006 to 2008
• Abner Vernon McCall – President of Baylor University from 1961 to 1981
• Herbert H. Reynolds – President of Baylor University from 1981 to 1995
• Robert B. Sloan – President of Baylor University from 1995 to 2055, and of Houston Baptist University from 2006 to the present
• Kenneth Starr – 14th president of Baylor University, inaugurated 2010
• William D. Underwood – Interim president of Baylor University 2005 to 2006, and of Mercer University 2006 to present
• William R. White – President of Hardin-Simmons University from 1940 to 1943, and of Baylor University from 1948 to 1961

Philosophy

• Francis J. Beckwith – Associate Professor and Christian philosopher
• C. Stephen Evans – University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities
• Thomas S. Hibbs – Dean of the Honors College and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
• Jonathan Kvanvig – Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Christian philosopher, specialist in Epistemology and Philosophy of Religion

Coaches

• Art Briles – Current Baylor football coach, won 4 state titles as coach at Stephenville(TX) High School
• Scott Drew – Men's basketball coach
• Clyde Hart – Former head track coach, currently director of track and field
• Sonja Hogg – Former head woman's basketball coach at Louisiana Tech University and at Baylor University.
• Glenn Moore – Softball coach, played both football and baseball in college and softball with "The King and His Court"
• Kim Mulkey – Lady Bear basketball coach, college player at the Louisiana Tech University and on the US Olympic Team
• Grant Teaff – Former football head coach (1972–1992), member of the College Football Hall of Fame and executive director of the American Football Coaches Association
• Randy Waldrum – Founded the Baylor University women's soccer program, and went 46-14-3 from 1996 to 1998. Current head coach of the University of Notre Dame's women's soccer team.
• George Woodruff – Former Baylor football coach

Economics

• Earl Grinols – Distinguished Professor of Economics, notable works include contributions to the study of the economic effect of gambling and casinos
• David VanHoose – Herman W. Lay Professor of Private Enterprise. He has written text books and papers used in the field of economics. Areas of focus are international economics, monetary economics, macroeconomics, and banking.
• J. William (Bill) Petty - Professor of Finance and Caruth Chair of Entrepreneurship

Engineering

• Robert J. Marks II – Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, notable work in application of artificial neural networks, brachytherapy, wireless communication, detection theory, and Fourier analysis; a proponent of intelligent design and is featured in the documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

English

• Greg Garrett– Professor of English, winner of the Pirate's Alley William Faulkner Prize for Fiction, and author of several books

Honors College

• David Lyle Jeffrey – Distinguished Professor of Literature and the Humanities, noted scholar of literature and Christianity. His works include the Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature, Houses of the Interpreter: Reading Scripture, Reading Culture, English Spirituality in the Age of Wesley, et al.

School of Music

• Storm Bull – Musician, composer and educator, Professor Emeritus at the College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder

Religion

• Edward R. Dalglish – Biblical scholar and professor of Old Testament
• W. Winfred Moore – Former visiting distinguished professor of religion and director of the Center for Ministry Effectiveness at Baylor
• Ralph Wood – University professor and author of The Gospel According to Tolkien

Sciences

• Anzhong Wang – Theoretical physicist, specialized in gravitation, cosmology and astroparticle physics; currently working on cosmology in string/M theory and the Hořava-Lifshitz gravity
• Bennie Ward – Theoretical particle physicist, Fellow of the American Physical Society and is currently Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Open Nuclear and Particle Physics Journal

Social sciences

• Marc H. Ellis – Controversial author of numerous articles and books on Israel and Jewish affairs
• Rodney Stark – Advocate of the application of rational choice theory in the sociology of religion

Truett Seminary

• Roger E. Olson – Professor of Theology, author of The Story of Christian Theology Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform
• Jimmy Dorrell – Professor of Missions, author of Trolls and Truth