• Skip to main content
  • Skip to main navigation
Baylor University
About Baylor
  • Campus
    • Vibrant Baylor Campus
    • Traditions
      • Baylor Bucket List
      • School Song
      • The Immortal Message
      • The McLane Carillon
    • Virtual Tour
    • Campus Map
    • Directions to Campus
  • Connect
    • Baylor Magazine
    • Baylor Proud
    • Social Media
    • Baylor Alumni
    • Wear the Gear
  • Facts & Figures
    • Awards & Rankings
    • Ask Baylor
    • Financial Highlights
  • Heritage
    • History
      • Baylor Presidents
      • Founders & Founders Day
      • The Naming of Baylor
    • Land Acknowledgment
    • Historical Timeline
    • Prominent Bears
    • Commission on Historic Campus Representations
  • Leadership
    • Office of the President
    • Senior Administration
  • Values & Vision
    • Give Light
    • Core Convictions
    • Mission Statement
    • Top-Tier Academics
      • Research
      • Apply Now
    • Christian Commitment
    • Caring Community
    • Athletic Excellence
    • Strategic Plan
    • Strategic Vision
  • Join Us
    • Apply Now
    • Work Here
    • Make a Gift
    • Visit Baylor
  • Our Stories
Baylor BU About Baylor Heritage History The Naming of Baylor
  • History
    • Baylor Presidents
    • Founders & Founders Day
    • The Naming of Baylor
  • Land Acknowledgment
  • Historical Timeline
  • Prominent Bears
  • Commission on Historic Campus Representations

The Naming of Baylor

Baylor University

Judge Baylor
Judge R. E. B. Baylor

When the Texas Baptist Education Society petitioned the Congress of the Republic of Texas for a charter to start a university, the first name suggested was “San Jacinto” to recognize the victory which enabled the Texans to become an independent nation. Then it was changed to honor revolutionary hero Ben Milam. Just before the final vote of the Congress, the petitioners requested the university be named in honor of Judge R. E. B. Baylor. Republic of Texas President Anson Jones signed the Act of Congress on February 1, 1845, officially chartering it as Baylor University.

Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor (1793-1873) 

Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor, or R. E. B. Baylor, was born in Lincoln County, Kentucky, on 1793 May 10. His parents, Walker and Jane Bledsoe Baylor, had six children. Walker had served in the Continental Army as a member of the 3rd Light Dragoons. He was eventually promoted to captain and served as an orderly on General George Washington's staff. Walker's son Robert attended country schools for most of his adolescence. He was admitted to the bar in 1812, but postponed his legal career to fight in the War of 1812. As a member of the Kentucky Militia, Baylor participated in battles in Ohio Territory and in the ill-fated invasion of Canada.

After the end of the War of 1812, Baylor studied law with his uncle, Judge Jesse Bledsoe and became well-known throughout the area. In 1819, R.E.B. Baylor was elected to the Kentucky State Legislature. His reputation continued to grow after moving to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In 1824, Baylor was elected to the Alabama State Legislature and became a United States Representative from that state in 1828. In 1836, Baylor led a battalion of Alabama volunteers against the Creek Indians.

One of the defining moments of R.E.B. Baylor's life came in 1839 with his conversion to Christianity. He was ordained shortly after his conversion experience, leaving his flourishing political career in Alabama behind to spread the Gospel.

At the age of forty-six, Baylor moved to Texas where he continued to devote his life to law and his new faith. In 1841, he was appointed an associate justice of Texas' Supreme Court. While judging cases around the state, he presided over the first district court held in Waco and preached perhaps the first sermon offered in Waco. He was involved in a number of religious organizations including the Texas Baptist Education Society, the Union Association, and the Texas Baptist State Convention. He had joined the Freemasons in 1825 and served as a chaplain for that society in 1843, 1846, and 1847.

During his residence in Texas, Baylor owned slaves, predominantly women, including 33 enslaved people in 1860. Being a slaveholder formed a significant portion of his wealth, which totaled $24,000 in real estate and $35,000 in personal estate in 1860 — sums that made him among the wealthiest residents of Washington County at the time.

Legal matters involving slaves came before Baylor with some frequency during his service as a judge in Texas. He did not serve in the Confederate military, as he was 67 years old when the Civil War began. However, he did continue serving as a judge in Texas during the Civil War and can also be said to have supported the cause of the Confederacy, broadly speaking.

Baylor was also instrumental in founding Baylor University, named for him when it was chartered in 1845. Despite his involvement as donor and law professor, Baylor was never a president of the school. 

Although Baylor was never married nor had children, he was quite close to his nephew John Baylor, as John lived with him for a time and wrote to him often when he left Robert Baylor's house. John Baylor led an adventurous life of his own as a noted Indian fighter, commander of the first Confederate invasion of New Mexico in the American Civil War, Confederate congressman, and gunfighter. 

After a life of faith in God and public service to three states, Robert Baylor died on 1873 December 30. He was buried at Baylor University's original campus in Independence, Texas, but his remains were transferred to the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in 1917.

About Baylor

Joining the Baylor family is an opportunity to experience a top academic environment within a dynamic Christian community.

Apply Now
Work Here
Make a Gift
Visit Baylor
Ask Baylor
Baylor BU About Baylor Heritage History The Naming of Baylor
  • Campus
    Back
    • Vibrant Baylor Campus
    • Traditions
      Back
      • Baylor Bucket List
      • School Song
      • The Immortal Message
      • The McLane Carillon
    • Virtual Tour
    • Campus Map
    • Directions to Campus
  • Connect
    Back
    • Baylor Magazine
    • Baylor Proud
    • Social Media
    • Baylor Alumni
    • Wear the Gear
  • Facts & Figures
    Back
    • Awards & Rankings
    • Ask Baylor
    • Financial Highlights
  • Heritage
    Back
    • History
      Back
      • Baylor Presidents
      • Founders & Founders Day
      • The Naming of Baylor
    • Land Acknowledgment
    • Historical Timeline
    • Prominent Bears
    • Commission on Historic Campus Representations
  • Leadership
    Back
    • Office of the President
    • Senior Administration
  • Values & Vision
    Back
    • Give Light
    • Core Convictions
    • Mission Statement
    • Top-Tier Academics
      Back
      • Research
        Back
        • Research and Discovery
        • Sniffing Out Cancer
        • Saving Lives
        • Building Healthier Lives
        • Saving the Oceans
        • Helping Families Heal
        • Unlocking the Patterns of Life
        • Ensuring Clean Water
        • Ending Hunger in America
        • Stopping the Spread of Disease
      • Apply Now
    • Christian Commitment
    • Caring Community
    • Athletic Excellence
    • Strategic Plan
    • Strategic Vision
  • Join Us
    Back
    • Apply Now
    • Work Here
    • Make a Gift
    • Visit Baylor
  • Our Stories
  • General Information
  • Academics & Research
  • Administration
  • Admissions
  • Gateways for ...
  • About Baylor
  • Athletics
  • Ask Baylor
  • Bookstore
  • Calendar
  • Campus Map
  • Directory
  • Give Light
  • Give to Baylor
  • Illuminate
  • News
  • Pro Futuris
  • Search
  • Social Media
  • Baylor Libraries
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Diana R. Garland School of Social Work
  • George W. Truett Theological Seminary
  • Graduate School
  • Hankamer School of Business
  • Honors College
  • Law School
  • Louise Herrington School of Nursing
  • Research at Baylor University
  • Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences
  • School of Education
  • School of Engineering & Computer Science
  • School of Music
  • More Academics
  • Athletics
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Office of General Counsel
  • Office of the President
  • Office of the Provost
  • Operations, Finance & Administration
  • Senior Administration
  • Student Life
  • University Advancement
  • Undergraduate Admissions
  • goBAYLOR
  • Graduate Admissions
  • Baylor Law School Admissions
  • Social Work Graduate Programs
  • George W. Truett Theological Seminary Admissions
  • Online Graduate Professional Education
  • Virtual Tour
  • Visit Campus
  • Alumni & Friends
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Online Graduate Professional Education
  • Parents
  • Prospective Faculty & Staff
  • Prospective Students
  • Students
  • Accessibility
  • Anonymous Reporting
  • Annual Fire Safety and Security Notice
  • Digital Privacy
  • Legal Disclosures
  • Mental Health Resources
  • Report It
  • Title IX
 
Baylor University
Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.
Baylor University • Waco, Texas 76798 • 1-800-229-5678