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
President and CEO 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
Baylor professor of anthropology; 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
Chief Financial Officer at TearLab Corporation
President and owner of Brewton Investment Corporation, 2011 Alumnus of the Year
Senior vice president and CFO of Crown Castle International; 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
Al Jazeera English news anchor, former CNN anchor
U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Award-winning 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
Vienna Boys Choir Kapellmeister
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
Hall of Fame women's basketball coach at 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
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
President and COO of Leap Wireless
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
Actor: "Chicago Fire"
President and CEO of Western Refining; 2012 Baylor Legacy Award recipients
Best-selling author of "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"
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
Stanford University researcher
Former NFL Pro Bowl defensive lineman, 2013 Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service recipient
1990 Founders Medal recipient for extraordinary service and philanthropy to Baylor
United States House of Representatives (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
Five-time Grammy winner, music director of the Nashville Symphony
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"
President and CEO of Transwestern
Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer at Capital Senior Living
Founder of Pangea Bottles
Long-standing public servant, former U.S. Congressman and Texas Supreme Court Justice
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
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 Gordon College; 2011 Young Alumnus of the Year
NBA General Manager
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
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