Prominent Bears
Throughout the university’s history, Baylor Bears have left their mark on the world around us. Some names may surprise while others will be familiar. All have inspired us.

Founder of Allbritton Communications Company, which owns and operates Politico, 2011 Baylor Legacy Award recipients, 2003 Founders Medal recipients

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comstock Resources and the 2009 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Retired president and CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health

United States House of Representatives (Texas) and former football player

Tony-nominated playwright

Cardiologist, architect of the Medical Humanities program, 2015 Medal of Service recipient for Contributions to the Professions: Healthcare & Medicine, for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Executive Vice President for Aspirational Excellence at Belmont University; Founder and Executive Director of the Reuniting Families Project

Singer, songwriter, actress: "Wings"

2014 W.R. White Meritorious Service Award recipient; helping Baylor recruit, retain and graduate minority students since 1988

Television writer, producer, director, original show runner for "Happy Days"

2010 Baylor Legacy Award recipient; 35 year assistant professor of home economics (now family and consumer sciences)

Co-founder Human Trafficking Institute, 2015 Young Alumnus of the Year

Co-author of the movies "Wanted," "3:10 to Yuma" and "2 Fast, 2 Furious", producer of television's "Chicago P.D.", "Chicago Fire", "Chicago Med", and "Chicago Justice", 2014 Alumnus of the Year

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President and owner of Brewton Investment Corporation, 2011 Alumnus of the Year

Former Chief Executive Officer at Crown Castle; 2012 Young Alumnus of the Year

President of Hardin-Simmons University

Lt. Governor of Texas 1991-1999; 1995 Founders Medal recipient

Film and television producer, director and writer, documentarian: "America Speaks Out!" and "Walking with Freedom"

Former editor of People Magazine

2009 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Founder and publisher, Texas Football Magazine

First Vietnamese American elected to Congress

Emmy Award-winning American Broadcaster

President of the University of Tulsa, Former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

Award-winning On-Air Talent & National Sports Anchor for Fox Sports Radio

Gifted first computer to Baylor (IBM 1620 Data Processing System), 1989 Founders Medal recipient

2015 Baylor Legacy Award recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Renowned Conductor/Pianist

2011 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Named one of the "50 Most Influential Women in Law" in America by the National Law Journal

Retired Hall of Fame women's basketball coach with the University of Texas, 1986 national champion, first women's basketball collegiate coach to reach 700 wins

1977 Founders Medal recipient; 1923 Baylor Law graduate

Retired chairman of the Board of Publix Super Markets, Inc.; 2012 Baylor Legacy Award recipients

Award-winning Christian recording artist

Architect of "Baylor 2012", 2013 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Governor of Texas 1957-1963 and U.S. Senator from 1953-1957

President of Furman University

Co-founder Austin Community College, 2014 Pro Texana Medal of Service recipient

Retired NBA General Manager, Coach and Player

Captain Dawson was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on June 6, 1944.

President of Blue Bell Creameries

2014 Baylor Legacy Award recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Grammy-winning trumpet player

Award-winning ventriloquist and comedian

Executive Chairman at Caribe Holdings

Judge, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit

Actor: "Chicago Fire"

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Mountain Investments, LLC; 2012 Baylor Legacy Award recipients

Best-selling author of "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"

Owners and Founders of Magnolia; stars of HGTV's "Fixer Upper"; 2015 Alumni of the Year recipients

Creator, producer, and host of PBS's Emmy-winning show "The Daytripper"

2010 Baylor Legacy Award recipient, 2005 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University

Former NFL Pro Bowl defensive lineman, 2013 Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service recipient

1990 Founders Medal recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Former United States House Representative (South Carolina)

2010 Alumnus of the Year, instrumental in advancing the presence and reputation of Baylor

1978 Founders Medal recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

2011 Heisman Trophy Winner, 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year, 2012 Pro Bowl quarterback, NFL quarterback

National champion, two-time AP national player of the year, two-time Wade Trophy recipient, 1st pick overall in 2013 WNBA Draft

Six-time Grammy winner, music director of the Nashville Symphony

Former Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives; 2012 Pro Texana Medal of Service recipient

Co-author of the movies "Wanted," "3:10 to Yuma" and "2 Fast, 2 Furious", producer of television's "Chicago P.D.", "Chicago Fire", "Chicago Med", and "Chicago Justice", 2014 Alumnus of the Year

1970 Founders Medal recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

3-Time USA Track & Field Nike Coach of the Year; 2014 Distinguished Achievement Award recipient

Chairman of the Board of J-Hawk Ltd; 2011 Baylor Legacy Award recipients

Director of "The Founder" and director/writer of "The Blind Side"; 2014 Medal of Service recipient for Contributions to the Professions: Media & Arts

Best-selling author of "Silence of the Lambs"

Chief Executive Officer of the Transwestern family of companies

Chief Financial Officer at US Physical Therapy

Founder of Pangea Bottles

Long-standing public servant, former U.S. Congressman and Texas Supreme Court Justice

Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners; Former Chairman of American Airlines Group, Inc. and American Airlines

NBA assistant coach

Former CEO of Oracle Corp.; 2012 Baylor Legacy Award recipient

NFL Assistant General Manager

Award-winning singer, songwriter, and record producer

Special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal and one of the first partners of the major international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski

National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee

Bronze Star recipient, 1999 Founders Medal recipients

Tony Award-winning producer, President and Founder of Leisure and Recreation Concepts

Retired former President and COO of Tyndale House

Winner of four Olympic gold medals and eight world championships in the 200m, 400m, and 400m relay

Two-time NBA Champion, 2013 Business Leadership Medal of Service recipient

2012 Legacy Award recipient as a contributor to Baylor's important mission as a Christian university

2001 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Awarded the Medal of Honor on Aug. 9, 1943 for gallantry in action over Ploesti

Co-founder and chairman of Keller Williams Realty International; 2011 Medal of Service in Business Leadership recipient

Actress: "Chicago Fire"

Missionary: Haiti, 2010 Young Alumna of the Year

Emmy Award winning actress: "The Office"

1998 Founders Medal recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

2015 Baylor Legacy Award recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Former national president of the American Board of Trial Advocates

Pulitzer-nominated author, President of Taylor University; 2011 Young Alumnus of the Year

Former NBA General Manager, current Advisor to Dallas Mavericks

Missionaries: Guatemala and Mexico, 2014 Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service recipients

2004 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism at Iwo Jima

2006 Founders Medal recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Former President of Baylor University; Founders Medal recipient

Former First Lady of Baylor University; 2008 Founders Medal recipient

Chairman of McLane Group, former CEO of the Houston Astros Baseball Club and Regent Emeritus; 2012 Founders Medal recipient

Musician, keyboardist

Founders of "Jesus Said Love" ministry

2015 Baylor Legacy Award recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

MLB infielder and World Series champion

Governor of Texas 1921-1925 and later president of Baylor University

1997 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Editor-in-chief of The Gallup Poll

Founder of Fotolanthropy; 2014 Young Alumna of the Year

Judge, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit

Renowned professor of physics, 2014 Baylor Legacy Mentor Award recipient

United States Senator for Kentucky

Attorney General of Texas

Missionary: South Sudan, 2013 Young Alumna of the Year

Founder and CEO of The Perryman Group; nominated for 2005 Nobel Prize in Economics; 2012 Medal of Service for Business and Commerce recipient

Chief Justice of Texas Supreme Court (1988-2004); 2013 Pro Texana Medal of Service recipient

2010 Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service recipient, advocate for Baylor

Former, long-standing CEO of Baylor HealthCare System; 2012 Medal of Service for Contributions to the Professions recipient

2014 Baylor Legacy Award recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Founders Medal recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

President of Paramount Healthcare; 2012 Medal of Service for Business Leadership recipient

2014 Medal of Service recipient for Contributions to the Professions: Healthcare

Chief Financial Officer at PayPal

Missionaries: Iraq, 2015 Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service recipient

Former President and Chancellor of Baylor University; 2000 Founders Medal recipient

Governor of Texas 1991-1995

Founder and Chairman of First Preston HT

Former CEO and Chairman of Citizens, Inc.; 2010 Baylor Legacy Award recipient

CEO and Chairman of Robinson Media Co., LLC; 2010 Baylor Legacy Award recipient

Governor of Texas 1887-1891

Retired Army Major General; 2013 Medal of Service recipient for Contributions to the Professions: Healthcare

Executive Director and Founder of "Friends for Life"

1988 Founders Medal recipient

First woman on Twitter's Board of Directors, and current board chairwoman of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Co-Producer of "Hacksaw Ridge", Vice President of Development & Production at Cross Creek Pictures

Former NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver

Former Ambassador to Kuwait (2014-16) and Iraq (2016-19)

Co-chairman of the Texas Rangers and co-Founder of XTO energy; 2013 Baylor Legacy Award recipient

NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker

Former chair of the Department of Biology; 1996 Founders Medal recipient

2007 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Recipient of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Music

CEO of Splunk, Inc.; 2013 Alumnus of the Year

Chaplain Taylor was cited for bravery and awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action for his services in the Battle of Bataan.

Developer of the first silicon transistor

Researcher and inventor, 2015 Medal of Service recipient for Contributions to the Professions: Research

Award-winning actress: "Fargo"

Founder of the Web search engine Lycos, Inc.

Finalist for the Heisman Trophy, member of College Football Hall of Fame

Chair of Baylor Scott & White Holdings; former CEO of Dr Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group; 2013 Baylor Legacy Award recipients

Senior managing partner at Provost and Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont; 2014 Baylor Legacy Award recipient

2016 PGA Champion

Olympic gold medalist

Founding Dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, former State Senator & current Austin Mayor; 2010 Pro Texana Medal of Service recipient

2007 NBA Finals participant

Governor of Texas 1983-1987; 2011 Pro Texana Medal of Service recipient

Former President of Baylor University; 1972 Founders Medal recipient

American philosopher

Judge, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit

Managing partner of Williams Kherkher Hart Boundas Law Firm L.L.P. of Houston; 2012 Alumnus of the Year

2013 3rd Round NFL Draft Pick, NFL receiver

Olympic gold medalist

Former senior editor of Life magazine and a founder of People magazine

Host of ESPN's NFL Live

2010 Founders Medal recipients for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

2015 Baylor Legacy Award recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor

Former All-Star WNBA forward