Centennial Time Capsule Monument

Stones from Tryon Hall, a building belonging to the male department on Baylor’s original campus in Independence, Texas, were used to build the Centennial Time Capsule Monument, as were stones from Old Main, Georgia Burleson Hall, George W. Carroll Science Hall, Pat Neff Hall and Alexander Hall on Baylor’s Waco campus.

The time capsule buried beneath the monument contains, among other items, a copy of the Round-Up yearbook, copies of the Lariat newspaper, course catalogs, pictures, letters and recordings from the 1944-45 academic year.

The construction of Tryon Hall, a stone structure on Baylor’s original campus for male students, was approved by Baylor trustees in 1859 with the first story being completed by trustee A.G. Haynes. Because Haynes was a slaveholder, it is possible that enslaved persons owned by him were involved in the construction of Tryon Hall. The building was never fully completed and remained a shell until torn down in 1934.

The Centennial Time Capsule Monument was erected on May 26, 1945, in what has become known as Founders Mall to coincide with commencement ceremonies as part of Baylor University’s centennial celebration. In 2024 the monument and time capsule were both removed from Founders Mall due to construction of the Memorial to Enslaved Persons, and in 2025 they were placed in Traditions Plaza near the Immortal Ten Memorial and the Carroll Field arch.