List of Baylor University people
This is a list of notable people associated with Baylor University in Waco, Texas, United States. To be included in this list, a person must have their own, existing Wikipedia article. The list includes notable alumni, faculty, and former students.
Alumni
Academics
- William Bennett Bizzell, former president of the University of Oklahoma and former president of Texas A&M University
- Barbara H. Bowman, geneticist and former professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and University of Texas Health Science Center
- Gilberto Freyre, Brazilian sociologist, cultural anthropologist and historian
- Edwin Gaustad, historian of religion in America
- Guy Benton Johnson, Sociologist and cultural anthropologist; distinguished student of black culture in the rural South and a pioneer advocate of racial equality
- Jo Jorgensen, Clemson University lecturer in psychology and Libertarian Party candidate for president in 2020, VP in 1996
- Glenn McGee, professor of medicine, philosophy, law and public health
- Judy Jolley Mohraz, 9th president of Goucher College, women's history professor, and philanthropist
- Royce Money, former president of Abilene Christian University
- Mark W. Muesse, philosopher and professor emeritus at Rhodes College
- Olin Clyde Robison, former president of Middlebury College
- Lawrence Sullivan Ross, former president of Texas A&M University and Governor of Texas
- Beck A. Taylor, president of Samford University
- Dixon Wecter, Margaret Byrne Professor of United States History at the University of California, Berkeley
- Dallas Willard, philosopher and professor at the University of Southern California
The arts
- H. Parrott Bacot, art historian
- Nancy Barrett, actress, best known for her roles in the soap opera Dark Shadows
- Crystal Bernard, singer and actress who starred in the television series Wings
- Marc Burckhardt, artist and illustrator
- Carole Cook, actress, Broadway and film
- Elizabeth A. Davis, Tony Award-nominated actress
- Jim Dickinson, record producer, singer and pianist
- Phil Driscoll, Grammy-winning singer/trumpet player
- Rodger Dean Duncan, author and business consultant
- Jeff Dunham, ventriloquist and comedian
- Forrest Frank, singer, songwriter, and producer
- Robert Fulghum, best-selling author, philosopher
- Chip Gaines, television personality, entrepreneur, and author; television series Fixer Upper and Magnolia Market
- Joanna Gaines, television personality, entrepreneur, and author; television series Fixer Upper and Magnolia Market
- Florence Gerald, writer, poet, stage actress
- Bruce Greer, composer
- Shaun Groves, Christian contemporary musician, singer, songwriter
- Derek Haas, author/screenwriter
- Jack Hamm, author of acclaimed art 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
- Jackson Hurst, actor, television series Drop Dead Diva and Walking Tall 3
- Brett James, country music singer and songwriter
- Julie Kenner, author and former lawyer
- Kara Killmer, actress, Chicago Fire
- Angela Kinsey ; actress, podcaster, and television panelist
- Clancy Martin, novelist and philosopher
- Erin McCarley, songwriter-musician
- Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight, actresses and YouTube personalities
- Austin Miller, actor, dancer, and singer on Grease: You're The One That I Want
- Jay Hunter Morris, operatic tenor
- Willie Nelson, country music star
- Eddie Noack, country music singer and songwriter
- Grady Nutt, pastor, humorist and television personality; regular on Hee Haw
- David Phelps, tenor for the Gaither Vocal Band
- Derek Phillips, actor
- Alfred Reed, composer and conductor
- Kevin Reynolds, film director
- Maddy Rosenberg, artist
- Gretchen Rossi, TV personality, The Real Housewives of Orange County
- Paul Smith, singer/songwriter, member of The Imperials
- Suzy Spencer, true-crime writer and novelist
- Robert Sterling, songwriter, produce, arranger
- Steven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize winner for music
- David Sullivan, film and television actor
- Allison Tolman, actress
- Jennifer Vasquez, actress and contestant on season six of Big Brother
- Peter Weber, television personality, pilot, and author; television series The Bachelor and The Bachelorette
- Allen Wier, writer
- Noble Willingham, television and film actor
- Roxanne Wilson, finalist on season five of The Apprentice
- Stephanie Young, voice actress, singer, songwriter
- Man-Ching Donald Yu, composer
Business
- Joe Allbritton, founder and owner of Allbritton Communications Company, the parent company of Politico
- Paul L. Foster, chairman of the board of Western Refining
- Thomas W. Horton, lead director of General Electric's board of directors
- Mark Hurd, CEO and board of directors member of Oracle Corporation
- Michael S. Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York Times best-selling author, and founder of Michael Hyatt & Company, an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company for 2017, 2018, and 2019
- Gary Keller, co-founder and chairman of Keller Williams Realty International
- Rebecca Mark, former head of Enron International
- Drayton McLane, chairman of the McLane Group and former owner of the Houston Astros
- Bob J. Perry, founder of Perry Homes
- 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 and co-owner of the Texas Rangers
- Allen Stanford, former chairman of Stanford Financial Group, which operated as a Ponzi scheme, convicted financial fraudster
- A. Latham Staples, president and CEO of EXUSMED, Inc.; chairman of Empowering Spirits Foundation
- Bill Townsend, Internet entrepreneur and founder of the Web search engine Lycos, Inc.
Law
- Charles Barrow, former justice in 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 Walker Elrod, judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Sidney A. Fitzwater, chief United States federal district judge for the Northern District of Texas
- A. J. Folley, justice of the Texas Supreme Court
- James Rodney Gilstrap, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas
- James E. Kinkeade, United States federal judge for Northern District of Texas
- Priscilla Owen, judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth circuit, possible nominee to Supreme Court
- Ryan Patrick, former judge, 177th District Court, former United States attorney for the Southern District of Texas
- Thomas R. Phillips, former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court
- Tom Price, judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1997–2015; judge of the Texas 282nd Court, 1987–1997
- Walter Scott Smith Jr., chief United States federal judge for the Western District of Texas
- William Steger, long-serving United States federal judge for the Eastern District of Texas, ran unsuccessfully for Texas governor in 1960 and United States House of Representatives in 1962
- T. John Ward, former United States federal judge for the Eastern District of Texas
- Don Willett, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Media
- Richelle Carey, Al Jazeera America news anchor
- Deb Carson, Fox Sports Radio national sports anchor & co-host
- Beth Haller, journalism professor, Fulbright scholar
- Robert Heard, reporter and journalist for the Associated Press
- Brooklyn McKnight and Bailey McKnight-Howard, YouTubers
- Candice Millard, former National Geographic editor and New York Times best selling author
- Trey Wingo, co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter
Military
- Clarence R. Autery, Air Force general
- O. L. Bodenhamer ; Army officer during World War I, 12th national commander of American Legion 1929–1930
- John R. Kane ; Army Air Forces Medal of Honor recipient, led bombardment aircraft in mass low-level attack against Ploesti oil refineries in 1943
- Jack Lummus; professional football player with the New York Giants, Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient killed in action at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945
- Charles C. Pixley, 34th surgeon general of the Army 1977–1981
- Gale Pollock, deputy surgeon general of the Army 2006–2007
Politics
- James B. Adams, Texas legislator, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Colin Allred, U.S. representative from Texas's 32nd congressional district
- Kip Averitt, former Texas state senator
- Charlotte Beers, businesswoman and former U.S. Under Secretary of State
- Charles T. Bernard, Arkansas Republican state chairman, 1971–1973; Republican candidate for United States Senate in 1968; farmer and businessman
- Bob Bullock, lieutenant governor of Texas, Texas comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas secretary of state, Texas state representative
- Joseph Cao, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, and the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress
- Brad Carson, U.S. representative from Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district
- Sam Houston Clinton, former Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge; lawyer who represented both atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair and Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald
- Tom Connally, U.S. senator from Texas
- David Craighead, former Oklahoman representative
- Bill Daniel, former governor of Guam and Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives
- Price Daniel, governor of Texas 1957–1963
- Price Daniel Jr., speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
- John E. Davis, Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Houston since 1999
- Craig Eiland, departing state representative and former speaker pro tempore of the Texas House of Representatives
- James Walter Elder, U.S. representative from 5th congressional district
- Louie Gohmert, U.S. representative from Texas's 1st congressional district
- Trey Gowdy, U.S. representative from South Carolina's 4th congressional district
- Philip Gunn, speaker of the House Mississippi, first Republican speaker of the House in 136 years
- Sam B. Hall, U.S. representative from Texas's 1st congressional district
- Kelly Hancock, Republican Texas state senator for District 9
- Phil Hardberger, former mayor of San Antonio
- Temple Lea Houston, son of Sam Houston, district attorney, and state legislator
- Andrew J. Houston, U.S. senator from Texas ; perennial candidate, and son of Texas statesman Sam Houston
- Ernest Istook, U.S. representative from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district
- Leon Jaworski, special prosecutor during the Watergate Scandal and one of the first partners of the major international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski
- Brad Knott, U.S. representative from North Carolina's 13th congressional district
- Jeff Leach, state representative from District 67 in the Texas House of Representatives since 2013
- Jim Mattox, U.S. representative from Texas's 5th district, member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 33, 47th attorney general of Texas 1983–1991
- Julie Myers, former assistant secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Pat Morris Neff, governor of Texas 1921–1925; president of Baylor 1932–1947
- Lyndon Lowell Olson Jr., former United States ambassador to Sweden and vice chairman of U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
- Walter P. Paluch Jr., former brigadier general in the United States Air Force
- Diane Patrick, Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Arlington
- Rand Paul, U.S. senator from Kentucky, and son of former Texas Congressman Ron Paul
- Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general and former member of Texas House and Senate
- Angela Paxton, Texas state senator and wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Chip Pickering, U.S. representative from Mississippi's 3rd congressional district
- David Pierce, New Hampshire state representative, 2006–2012, and New Hampshire senator, 2012–present
- Larry Phillips, Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2003 from Sherman, Texas
- William R. Poage, U.S. representative from Texas's 11th congressional district
- Ann Richards, governor of Texas 1991–1995
- Sul Ross, governor of Texas 1887–1891
- J. T. Rutherford, U.S. representative from Texas's 16th congressional district
- Paul Sadler, former state representative and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee in 2012
- Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs of Jordan
- Max Sandlin, U.S. representative from Texas's 1st congressional district
- Scott Sanford, member of the Texas House of Representatives from McKinney; certified public accountant and Baptist pastor
- Mark M. Shelton, Fort Worth pediatrician, specialist in infectious diseases, and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 97
- Max Sherman, Texas state senator and president of West Texas A&M University
- William S. Sessions, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- David M. Sibley, Texas state senator and former mayor of Waco
- Larry Taylor, Republican member of the Texas Senate from District 11 and Texas House of Representatives from District 24
- Alan Steelman, U.S. representative from Texas's 5th congressional district
- Abelardo L. Valdez, former United States ambassador and Chief of Protocol of the United States
- Jason Villalba, former state representative from District 114 in Dallas County ; former candidate for Dallas mayor; member of the Haynes and Boone law firm in Dallas
- Kirk Watson, mayor of Austin and former Texas state senator
- W. Marvin Watson, advisor to President Lyndon Johnson and former Postmaster General
- Mark White, governor of Texas 1983–1987
- Joseph Franklin Wilson, U.S. representative from Texas's 5th congressional district
- Gita Wirjawan, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia
Religion
- George Washington Baines, Baptist clergyman in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas; maternal great-grandfather of Lyndon B. Johnson
- B. H. Carroll, first president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Russell H. Dilday, Baptist pastor, author, educator, former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of Texas Monthly "Texas Twenty"
- James T. Draper, Jr., pastor of First Baptist Euless and president of Southern Baptist LifeWay Resources
- Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church (Dallas, Texas)
- Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan, womanist theologian and ordained elder in the CME Church
- Kyle Lake, pastor and leader in the Emerging Church movement
- J. Frank Norris, popular fundamentalist Baptist preacher and critic of Baylor's embracing of evolution in the 1920s
- Paul Powell, dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary, pastor, BGCT leader, author
- John R. Rice, Baptist evangelist and pastor; founding editor of The Sword of the Lord, an influential fundamentalist newspaper
- Lester Roloff, fundamentalist Baptist preacher, storyteller, and author
- Kerry Shook, pastor of the Woodlands Church
- George W. Truett, pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas 1897–1944, president Baptist World Alliance and Southern Baptist Convention
Science and medicine
- Hallie Earle, 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
- James R. Heath, chemist, Elizabeth W. Gilloon Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology
- David Hillis, evolutionary biologist and 1999 MacArthur Fellow
- Robert W. McCollum, virologist who made important discoveries regarding polio and hepatitis
- Rod Rohrich, internationally renown plastic surgeon and Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
- Ada-Rhodes Short, roboticist, professor, and trans and LGBTQ rights activist
- Norman Shumway, pioneering heart surgeon at Stanford University
- John Stapp, physician and physicist who, among other things, studied the effects of acceleration and deceleration forces on humans
- Gordon K. Teal, worked in early efforts to improve transistors
Athletics
Badminton
- Tan Joe Hok, legendary Indonesian badminton player
Baseball
- Ken Patterson, pitcher, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels ; currently a pitching coach specialist for the Angels
- Pat Combs, pitcher, first round draft pick for the Philadelphia Phillies, played for the Phillies 1989–1992
- Jason Jennings, pitcher, Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball
- Ted Lyons, pitcher, Chicago White Sox, 1923–1946, member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame
- Max Muncy, outfielder, 2012 5th round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics; now with the Los Angeles Dodgers
- David Murphy, outfielder, 2003 1st round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox; now with the Texas Rangers
- Scott Ruffcorn, pitcher, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies
- Kelly Shoppach, catcher, New York Mets
- Bob Simpson, owner of the Texas Rangers and co-founder of XTO Energy
- Shawn Tolleson, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Lee Tunnell, pitcher, 1982–1989, for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Minnesota Twins
- Kip Wells, pitcher, in MLB since 1999 and most recently for the San Diego Padres in 2012
Men's basketball
- Quincy Acy, power forward for the New York Knicks
- Carroll Dawson, former assistant coach and general manager for the Houston Rockets 1980–2007
- LaceDarius Dunn, basketball player in the Israeli National League
- Melvin Hunt, assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks and former interim head coach of the Denver Nuggets
- Pierre Jackson, basketball player
- Curtis Jerrells, basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Premier League
- Vinnie Johnson, former player for the Detroit Pistons ; nicknamed "The Microwave" for being able to come off the bench heated up and ready to play; his #15 jersey was retired by the Pistons
- Perry Jones III, forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder
- Manu Lecomte, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Dennis Lindsey, general manager of the Utah Jazz, former Baylor guard
- Darryl Middleton, professional player for many European teams
- Quincy Miller, small forward for the Denver Nuggets
- Johnathan Motley, first player in franchise history to sign a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks; player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Royce O'Neale, forward for the Utah Jazz
- Taurean Prince, selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft; forward for the Milwaukee Bucks
- Jackie Robinson, won a gold medal as a guard for the 1948 U.S. Olympic basketball team in London
- Brian Skinner, forward for the Los Angeles Clippers
- Terry Teagle, shooting guard for Rockets, Lakers, & Warriors 1982–1993, 16th overall pick in the 1982 NBA draft
- Ekpe Udoh, forward for the Beijing Royal Fighters
- Ish Wainright, American-Ugandan basketball player in the NBA, and now for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Micheal Williams, former point guard for the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Toronto Raptors
- David Wesley, 16-year NBA veteran and former guard with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics, and New Jersey Nets; current television color analyst for the New Orleans Pelicans
Women's basketball
- Kalani Brown, player in the Israeli Female Basketball Premier League
- Jody Conradt, legendary women's basketball coach at the University of Texas
- Lauren Cox, forward for the Indiana Fever
- Brittney Griner, WNBA first-round draft pick
- Sonja Hogg, head women's basketball coach at Louisiana Tech and Baylor
- Sheila Lambert, drafted by the Charlotte Sting in the First Round of the 2002 WNBA Draft
- Bernice Mosby, WNBA first-round draft pick
- Kim Mulkey, Lady Bear basketball coach; first person in NCAA history to win a basketball national championship as a player, assistant coach, and head coach; won 2 NCAA Championships as head coach at Baylor and won the Big 12 regular season championship 9 times
- Sophia Young, All-Star forward and 2006 first-round draft pick for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA
Football
- Walter Abercrombie, NFL running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles
- Riley Biggs, American football center
- Matt Bryant, NFL placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons
- Cody Carlson, NFL quarterback taken in the 3rd round of the 1987 NFL draft for the Houston Oilers
- Nakia Codie, NFL defensive back
- Ray Crockett, NFL cornerback drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1989, won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos, BU Hall of Fame Class of 2008
- Cotton Davidson, played and coached at Baylor, quarterback in the NFL and AFL
- Paul Dickson, NFL defensive and offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys
- Santana Dotson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman, 1992 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, also played for the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins
- L.G. Dupre, running back for the Baltimore Colts and the Dallas Cowboys
- Thomas Everett, NFL defensive back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- James Francis, NFL linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins
- Ron Francis, cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots
- Malcolm Frank, Canadian Football League defensive back
- Hayden Fry, NCAA Division I-A coach, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003
- Terrance Ganaway, running back for the St. Louis Rams
- Kelvin Garmon, offensive guard for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and the Cleveland Browns
- Lester Gatewood, NFL center for the Green Bay Packers
- Dennis Gentry, NFL running back, selected in the 4th round of the 1982 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears
- David Gettis, 2010 NFL draft 198th overall pick by the Carolina Panthers
- Bill Glass, Round 1 draft pick and defensive tackle with the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns
- Josh Gordon, Wide receiver, Drafted in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft by the Cleveland Browns
- Robert Griffin III, Heisman Trophy winning Baylor quarterback; 2012 NFL draft 2nd overall draft pick by the Washington Redskins
- Greg Hawthorne, NFL running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots
- Heath Herring, football player and wrestler; retired mixed martial artist fighter, formerly for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Darrell Hogan, NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jeff Ireland, kicker at Baylor and general manager of the Miami Dolphins
- Joe Jackson, American football player
- Clay Johnston, linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams
- George Koch, NFL and AAFC player
- Khari Long, defensive end for the Chicago Bears
- James Lynch, defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings
- Gerald McNeil, "The Ice Cube", NFL and USFL wide receiver who played in the 1980s
- Fred Miller, offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, and the Chicago Bears
- Denzel Mims, wide receiver for the New York Jets
- Mike Nelms, All-Pro NFL and CFL defensive back
- J. W. Pender, University of North Texas head coach
- Luke Prestridge, former all-pro NFL punter with the Denver Broncos
- Robert Quiroga, Arena Football League player
- John B. Reid, University of North Texas head coach
- Bravvion Roy, defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers
- Lloyd Russell, University of North Texas head coach ; Baylor Bears baseball head coach
- Daniel Sepulveda, punter for Pittsburgh Steelers; two time Ray Guy Award winner
- Del Shofner, wide receiver for L.A. Rams, New York Giants ; five-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler
- Mike Singletary, linebacker for the Chicago Bears ; head coach of the San Francisco 49ers ; assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998
- Jack Sisco, University of North Texas head coach
- Jason Smith, offensive tackle, 2nd overall draft pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2009 NFL draft
- Justin Snow, long snapper signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2000 as an undrafted free agent. A member of the long snapper, holder, kicker trio to not miss a field goal
- Jack Steadman, former chairman, vice president, president and general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Phil Taylor, defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns, 21st overall draft pick in 2011 NFL draft
- Don Trull, All-American quarterback at Baylor; played six seasons with the AFL Houston Oilers
- J. D. Walton, offensive center for the Denver Broncos
- Danny Watkins, offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, 23rd overall draft pick in 2011 NFL draft
- John Westbrook, first African American to play football in the Southwest Conference
- Robert Williams, cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, Phoenix Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs
- Terrance Williams, wide receiver, 2013 NFL draft 74th overall draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys
- Bob Woodruff, former head coach at the University of Florida and former athletic director of the University of Tennessee
- Kendall Wright, wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans, 20th overall draft pick in 2012 NFL draft
Golf
- Jason Hill, golfer
- Jimmy Walker, PGA Tour, PGA Championship winner
Gymnastics
- Kiara Nowlin, member of the U.S. Junior National Trampoline and Tumbling Team, three-time gold medalist at the World Age Games, three-time gold medalist at The Cheerleading Worlds
Tennis
- Benjamin Becker, German professional player; defeated Andre Agassi in Agassi's final match in the 2006 U.S. Open
- Benedikt Dorsch, German professional player
- John Peers, Australian professional player
Track and field
- Trayvon Bromell, first junior to surpass the 10-second barrier for the 100 meters; had a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team
- Michael Johnson, winner of five Olympic gold medals and nine-time world champion
- KC Lightfoot, placed fourth in the pole vault at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Jeremy Wariner, winner of gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece for the individual 400 meter and the 4 × 400 meter
- Darold Williamson, winner of a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece in the 4 × 400 meter
- Reggie Witherspoon, winner of a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for the 4 × 400 meter along with teammate Jeremy Wariner
Volleyball
- Laura Daniela Lloreda, Mexican/Puerto Rican player
Faculty
Administration
- Reddin Andrews, president of Baylor University 1885–1886
- 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 1902–1931
- Rufus Columbus Burleson, president of Baylor University 1851–1861, and again 1886–1897
- Oscar Henry Cooper, president of Baylor University 1899–1902, and of Simmons College, now known as Hardin–Simmons University 1902–1909
- David E. Garland, interim president of Baylor University 2008–2010 and 2016, and dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University 2007–2016
- Henry Lee Graves, president of Baylor University 1846–1851
- John M. Lilley, president of the University of Nevada, Reno 2001–2005 and Baylor University 2006–2008
- Abner Vernon McCall, president of Baylor University 1961–1981
- Herbert H. Reynolds, president of Baylor University 1981–1995
- Robert B. Sloan, president of Baylor University 1995–2005, and of Houston Baptist University 2006–present
- Ken Starr, special counsel during the Whitewater controversy and later president of Baylor
- William D. Underwood, interim president of Baylor University 2005–2006, and of Mercer University 2006–present
- William R. White, president of Hardin–Simmons University 1940–1943, and of Baylor University 1948–1961
Coaches
- Scott Drew, men's basketball coach
- Clyde Hart, former head track coach and 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, 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 1996–1998; current head coach of the University of Notre Dame's women's soccer team
- George Woodruff, former Baylor football coach
Biology
- Maria Elena Bottazzi, Distinguished Professor of Biology
- Lula Pace, first female professor at Baylor with a PhD
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; has written text books and papers used in the field of economics
Engineering
- W. Mack Grady, professor of Electrical and Computer 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; featured in the documentary-style film ''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
Geology and Geography
- Frank Carney, chairman of department of Geology and Geography
History
- Beth Allison Barr, James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History
- Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History and co-director of the Program on Historical Studies of Religion
Mathematics
- David Arnold, Ralph and Jean Storm Professor of Mathematics
- Vivienne Malone-Mayes, first African-American Mathematics professor at Baylor
- Dorina Mitrea, professor and department chair of Mathematics
Philosophy
- Francis J. Beckwith, associate professor and Christian philosopher
- Jean Bethke Elshtain, Visiting Distinguished Professor of Religion and Public Life
- 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
- Alexander Pruss, philosopher, mathematician and the co-director of graduate studies in philosophy.
- Robert Campbell Roberts, Distinguished Professor of Ethics
Physics
- 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, co-editor-in-chief of The Open Nuclear and ''Particle Physics Journal''
Religion
- Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, Frederick E. Roach Chair in World Christianity
- Edward R. Dalglish, biblical scholar and professor of Old Testament
- Philip Jenkins, director of Program for Historical Studies of Religion
- Ralph C. Wood, university professor and author of ''The Gospel According to Tolkien''
School of Music
- Storm Bull, musician, composer and educator, professor emeritus at the College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder
Social sciences
- Marc H. Ellis, controversial author of numerous articles and books on Israel and Jewish affairs
- Jay Hein, director of the Program on Faith & Generosity and former Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
- Jerry Pattengale, distinguished senior fellow at the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion and director of the Green Scholars Initiative
- 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''
Presidents
The following is a list of presidents of Baylor University since 1846:| No. | Image | Name | Term start | Term end | |
| 1 | Henry Lee Graves | 1846 | 1851 | ||
| 2a | Rufus Columbus Burleson | 1851 | 1861 | ||
| 3 | George Washington Baines | 1861 | 1863 | ||
| 4 | William Carey Crane | 1864 | February 27, 1885 | ||
| 5 | Reddin Andrews | 1885 | 1886 | ||
| 2b | Rufus Columbus Burleson | 1886 | 1897 | ||
| – | John C. Lattimore | 1897 | 1899 | ||
| 6 | Oscar Henry Cooper | 1899 | March 31, 1902 | ||
| 7 | Samuel Palmer Brooks | 1902 | May 14, 1931 | ||
| acting | William Sims Allen | May 15, 1931 | 1932 | ||
| 8 | Pat Morris Neff | 1932 | 1947 | ||
| 9 | William R. White | February 1, 1948 | April 18, 1961 | ||
| 10 | Abner Vernon McCall | April 18, 1961 | May 31, 1981 | ||
| 11 | Herbert H. Reynolds | June 1, 1981 | May 31, 1995 | ||
| 12 | Robert B. Sloan | June 1, 1995 | May 31, 2005 | ||
| interim | William D. Underwood | June 1, 2005 | December 31, 2005 | ||
| 13 | John M. Lilley | January 1, 2006 | July 24, 2008 | ||
| acting | Harold R. Cunningham | July 25, 2008 | August 19, 2008 | ||
| interim | David E. Garland | August 20, 2008 | May 31, 2010 | ||
| 14 | Ken Starr | June 1, 2010 | May 31, 2016 | ||
| interim | David E. Garland | June 1, 2016 | May 31, 2017 | ||
| 15 | Linda Livingstone | June 1, 2017 | Present |
Table notes: