Spring 2023 Our Back Pages

Over the past four decades, Baylor has recognized almost 30 of its best teachers by giving them the designation of Master Teacher — the highest honor bestowed by the University for teaching. According to the Baylor website, the designation is “a testimony to a record of sustained excellence reflecting proven knowledge and use of effective teaching methods, plus active advocacy for teaching and learning” and are awarded at the discretion of the Office of the President

The tradition began Sept. 13, 1982, when Professors Ann Miller and Robert Reid were given the title of “University Master Teacher” at a College of Arts & Sciences faculty meeting. The awards were given after a recent survey sent to Baylor alumni showed that Miller and Reid consistently had the strongest impact on former students who had graduated from Baylor in the previous 25 years.

“Master Teachers are deservedly among the ranks of some of Baylor’s greatest teachers.”

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
Baylor University President

Miller, who was named University Master Teacher of Literature, began teaching full-time in the Baylor English department in 1961, while Reid, named University Master Teacher of History, joined the Baylor history faculty in 1948.

Miller and Reid remained the only Master Teachers until 1990, when four more faculty members were given the designation. Since then, 23 others have received the honor — with the majority coming from Arts & Sciences.

The most recent additions to Baylor’s Master Teachers came in 2020, when three new members were named — Robert Darden III, Dr. Anne-Marie Schultz and
Dr. Charles Weaver III. At that time, Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., praised the newest honorees.

“It is a distinct honor to confer the lifetime Master Teacher designation upon these three outstanding faculty members,” Livingstone said. “These newly designated Master Teachers are deservedly among the ranks of some of Baylor’s greatest teachers, who all deeply value undergraduate teaching and graduate learning while engaging their students in the transformative experiences that distinguish a Baylor education. We appreciate their years of dedication, commitment to teaching and service and providing mentorship both within and beyond the classroom.” 

The following is a complete list of the 29 faculty members named Baylor Master Teachers between 1982 and 2020.

1982

Ann Miller, English

Robert Reid, History

1990

Emerson Henke, Accounting

Angus McSwain Jr., Law

Robert Packard, Physics

James Parsons, Accounting

1993

Robert Baird, Philosophy

Jochem Burckhrdt, German

Tommye Lou Davis, Classics

David Guinn, Law

Roger Kirk, Psychology and Statistics

Harold Osborne, Sociology

David Pennington, Chemistry and Biochemistry

James Vardaman, History

2003

Helen Ligon, Information Systems

Ray Wilson II, Biology

2004

Rachel Moore, English

William Petty, Finance

Alden Smith, Classics

William Thomas, Accounting

William Underwood, Law

2005

Thomas Hanks Jr., English

Gerald Powell, Law

2016

Corey Carbonara, Film and Digital Media

T. Laine Scales, Social Work

Gaynor Yancey, Social Work

2020

Robert Darden III, Journalism, Public Relations and New Media

Anne-Marie Schultz, Philosophy

Charles Weaver III, Psychology and Neuroscience