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 (BA, 1925), 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 (BA, 1880), 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 (BA, 1993); 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 (1979–1983) 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 RefiningWestern 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 (JD), 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 TexasChief Judge Walter Smith, 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 (BA and LL B, 1957), Air Force general O. L. Bodenhamer (BA, 1914; LL D (hon), 1930); Army officer during World War I, 12th national commander of American Legion 1929–1930 John R. Kane (BA, 1928); 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 (MS), 34th surgeon general of the Army 1977–1981 Gale Pollock (MHA, 1987), 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 (2019–present) Kip Averitt, former Texas state senator Charlotte Beers, businesswoman and former U.S. under secretary of state (2001–2003) (attended; did not graduate) Nick Begich III, U.S Representative from Alaska's At Large Congressional District (2025-Present) 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 (2009–2011), first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress Brad Carson, U.S. representative from Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district (2001–2005) 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 (1929–1953) 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 (1973–1975) John E. Davis (BBA, 1982), 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 Louisiana's 5th congressional district (1913–1915) 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 (BBA, 1985), speaker of the House Mississippi (current), first Republican speaker of the House in 136 years Sam B. Hall, U.S. representative from Texas's 1st congressional district (1976–1985) 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 (1941); perennial candidate, and son of Texas statesman Sam Houston Ernest Istook, U.S. representative from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district (1993–2007) Leon Jaworski, special prosecutor during the Watergate Scandal and one of the first partners of the major international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski Brad Knott (BA), U.S. representative from North Carolina's 13th congressional district Jeff Leach (BA), state representative from District 67 in the Texas House of Representatives since 2013 Jim Mattox, U.S. representative from Texas's 5th district (1977–1983), member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 33 (East Dallas), 47th attorney general of Texas 1983–1991 Julie Myers (BA, 1991), 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