News

This spring, 23 Baylor students and recent alumni won the prestigious Fulbright awards, including two Baylor History students: recent graduate Mike Ermis and PhD candidate, Rebecca J. Blemur.

Baylor History Department Chair and Associate Professor, Dr. Julie deGraffenried, was recently named a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Historical Society.

We have two new Alumni Awards, and we are accepting nominations. Nominate a fellow alum or yourself today. Submissions are due June 1. 

John and Nancy Jackson's support of Baylor University's engagement with the Latin American community—both within the U.S. and abroad—led them to establish the Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America. Their endowment supports a vision for greater engagement, where academic excellence brings attention to critical issues and fosters meaningful connections. This endowed chair empowers chairholder Felipe Hinojosa, Ph.D., to engage faculty across the University in deeper research, expand understanding, and further Baylor's mission across borders and generations.

Three preeminent scholar/teachers from United States universities have been selected as finalists for Baylor University’s 2026 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, the only national teaching award – with the single largest monetary reward of $250,000 – presented by a college or university to an individual for exceptional teaching.

Baylor University students continue to be awarded the most prestigious – and highly competitive – scholarships and fellowships at the national and international level for critical language study and cultural exploration.

Baylor University faculty members Elesha J. Coffman, Ph.D., professor of history, and T. Philip Nichols, Ph.D., associate professor of English education, have been selected to receive the 2025 Centennial Professor Awards for summer research projects.

Krystal Tan’s paper for Dr. Dan Watkins’s Capstone Seminar in European History, “Thibaudeau’s Paradox: A Revolutionary’s Complicity in Napoleon’s Empire,” was published in the Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History.

The university’s history department will host a worship and presentation event about senior history majors’ research on African American history at Toliver Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Waco on Wednesday. The Toliver Chapel Student Showcase, which will shed light on the volume of topics found in the study of African American history, seeks to expose presenting undergraduates and attendees alike to the kind of work commonly found in the academic world.

We are now accepting submissions for our annual Guittard Book Award for Historical Scholarship. Baylor history alum and faculty are welcome to submit their book's that were published in 2024.  Submission are due April 21. 

The Baylor Model Organization of American States (MOAS) team represented the Republic of Costa Rica at the Washington, DC MOAS Summit from April 7 - 11, 2025. 

Two Baylor experts on women’s history — Dr. Andrea Turpin, an associate professor and director of the Baylor history graduate program, and Amy Achenbach, a doctoral candidate and Baylor history teacher — sat down to answer the big questions about women in history.

Dr. Benjamin Cowan, a historian of Cold War-era Brazil, visited Baylor as the keynote speaker at the Charles Edmonson Historical Lecture, a lecture series that has brought renowned historians to Waco since 1978.

In a two-day event, the Charles Edmondson Historical Lecture Series will feature the award-winning Dr. Benjamin Cowan, Professor of History at UCSD. His lectures will cover Brazil’s Cold War and the rise of Christian conservatism in Brazil, linking each to contemporary issues in our hemisphere.

Undergraduate students from Baylor University took part in the Eugene Scassa Mock Organization of American States (ESMOAS) Program’s Tenth Inter-American Court of Human Rights Moot Court (IACHR) Competition, held at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.

In the Armstrong Browning Library, Dr. Wallace Daniel gave a lecture based on his newest book, “Freedom and the Captive Mind: Fr. Gleb Yakunin and Orthodox Christianity in Soviet Russia.”

Former Baylor History major and Waco coffee entrepreneur, Dylan Washington, reflects on how Baylor History prepared him for a career in entrepreneurship. 

As part of Women’s History Month, members of Baylor’s History Department, in collaboration with the John and Nancy Jackson Chair for Baylor in Latin America, have organized a panel featuring perspectives from Latina “changemakers” whose activism and careers have made the city of Waco a more just and equitable place. 

Dr. Steven Jug is one of six faculty members who received the Elizabeth Vardaman Awards for 2025, recognizing them for their exceptional efforts in helping undergraduate students thrive academically.

Baylor University history professor, Dr. Beth Allison Barr, herself a pastor's wife, details a shift in evangelical attitudes toward women in the church in her new book, Becoming the Pastor's Wife.

Department faculty and graduate students presented their research at the Women's History Month roundtable on Wednesday, March 5th. From the Antebellum South to women's healthcare to the Crimean War to women's education, the roundtable explored a variety of topics to contextualize the female experience. 

The Department of History will hold a roundtable titled, “Reflections in History” for Women’s History Month featuring four panelists from Baylor University’s Department of History. This event is free and open to the public. 

The Roundtable will be held on March 5, 2025, in Morrison 100, 1322 S 5th St, Waco, TX 76706, from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. 

This spring, students in Dr.  Ricardo Álvarez-Pimentel's class are hitting the archives to uncover the remarkable stories of Waco's Hispanic community.

The John and Nancy Jackson Endowed Chair in Latin America & Professor of History would like to present, "Gather: Food Justice and Nourishment in an AntiBlack World." Dr. Ashanté Reese will discuss in her lecture a theory of change, food justice has remarkably shifted our understandings of the relationships between space, access, and the body.

Calling all history majors and incoming Baylor history majors, our department's scholarship application is now open! We have opportunities for current majors and for incoming majors. Deadline for both is March 7, 2025. Learn More!  

Dr. Stephen Sloan represents Baylor as its inaugural Big 12 Faculty of the Year award recipient. 

You might think that a historian sits in an ivory tower, poring over a list of facts and dates. That wouldn’t be Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson. It’s his fascinating and interrelated experiences in military, religious and diplomatic arenas — combined with his palpable passion for learning and teaching history — that make the subject come alive in his classroom and lectures.

The Waco History App, managed by our very own Dr. Stephen Sloan, has a self-guided African American history tour with 30 stops around our community. If you are wanting a guide, mark your calendars because the Institute for Oral History will be hosting a Black History Walk on February 15, 2025. 

For the 2025 Black History Month lecture, the Department of History presents "Entangled Alliances: A Reinterpretation of Blackness & Freedom in the American Revolution," which features Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson, Ralph & Bessie Mae Lynn Chair and Associate Professor of History at Baylor University. 

Have you ever wondered what a historian’s office looks like? Boston Tea Party memorabilia, bear masks, medals, and colonial reenactment costumes are only a few of the special items that make up Dr. Sweet’s creative space. Take a tour!

The Graduate School's Outstanding Dissertation Award recognizes exceptional scholarship, research, and writing by doctoral students. 2023 PhD graduate, Skylar Ray, was recognized as one of the recipients of the 2023-2024 award. 

Registration for Spring 2025 opens in November. Come check out all the amazing undergraduate courses the History faculty will be teaching!

Alumni, students, and faculty of History, Religion & Sociology, please join us on October 25th from 3:00 - 4:00 pm in the Tidwell Foyer to reconnect with fellow alumni. 

Take a tour of the building and enjoy some refreshments while seeing friends. 

For 70 years now, virtually every Baylor undergraduate student has taken religion and history courses in Tidwell Bible Building. So many students and alumni have fond memories of the building — but how much do you know about its history?

Dr. Felipe Hinojosa, John and Nancy Jackson Endowed Chair in Latin America, becomes one of forty-five fellows to join the sixth cohort of the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo.

Provost Nancy Brickhouse and President Linda Livingstone will kick off this year’s Readers Meet the Author series on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at Noon, as Dr. Elesha Coffman converses with Dr. Elizabeth Flowers about "Turning Points in American Church History: How Pivotal Events Shaped a Nation and a Faith" in the Schumacher Flex Commons on the first floor of Moody Memorial Library.

Did you know that Baylor held one of the first recorded homecoming games?

Baylor professor, Dr. Felipe Hinojosa, serves as the review editor of a new publication, the Journal of Texas History. The JTxH will showcase the history of Texas and the Greater Southwest and will include the many histories of its people and culture.

Dr. Felipe Hinojosa is presenting three lectures during the month and working on a new book that focuses on the Latino Civil Rights Movement from the 1960s-1990s.

Here are some upcoming events which are free and open to the public. Come support our faculty & students at these events. We hope to see you there!

Graduate student alumnus, Amadi Amaitsa, successfully earns a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship in the Department of History for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Dr. Kimberly Kellison, Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Associate Professor of History at Baylor University, has been awarded the 2023 Guittard Book Award for Historical Scholarship for her book, Forging a Christian Order: South Carolina Baptists, Race, and Slavery, 1696-1860. 

Have you ever wondered what happened here in Waco? Well there is an app for that and now a scavenger hunt. Dr. Stephen Sloan & Baylor’s Institute for Oral History celebrates the anniversary of Waco’s founding by coordinating a Waco history scavenger hunt. 

Meet the 2024-2025 Department of History Student Ambassador, Krystal Tan. This Senior History major has a passion for learning and is eager to engage with our community.

History doctoral student & Fulbright Scholar, Annie Himler Cheng, describes her research project that is taking her to Cambodia.  

The department is proud to announce the 2024-2025 scholarship recipients. 

The John and Nancy Jackson Endowed Chair in Latin America & Professor of History, Dr. Felipe Hinojosa, looks to add to this year's Hispanic Heritage Month events by bringing in esteemed guest faculty for three lectures. 

Come enjoy the James Vardaman Lecture featuring Dr. Carolyn Muessig on Thursday, August 29, 2024 in the Armstrong Browning Library from 3:30 - 5:00 pm. 

Dr. Julie Sweet discusses why - and how - she makes history come alive on the Baylor Connections podcast.

Three faculty members and three doctoral students from the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences have received 2024 grant awards from Louisville Institute.

The academic year is complete: finals graded, books returned, students graduated — and Baylor faculty honored! Congratulations to this year’s Baylor professors of the year!

Doctoral student, Allie R. Lopez, received the 2024 John Higham Research Fellowship from the Organization of American Historians. 

History graduate student, Patrick Leech, guest lectures at the University of Gdańsk in Poland as a part of his Fulbright research on Hungarian refugees after the 1956 Uprising using digital humanities methodologies. 

For the second year in a row, a doctoral student in History has won a Fulbright. In addition to this rare achievement, Baylor University can claim a record breaking 34 students named Fulbright finalists this year.

Director of the Institute for Oral History and History professor, Stephen Sloan, Ph.D., was honored for his outstanding contributions to Baylor’s learning environment.

Baylor University's Department of History is happy to announce the addition of two new scholars to its faculty. 

Dr. Julie deGraffenried has been awarded a research fellowship for her current study of antireligious propaganda posters across the twentieth century of the Soviet Union. 

The roundtable will cover a multitude of topics concerning women's history and will be facilitated by Baylor graduate students and professors.

The 2022 Guittard Book Award for Historical Scholarship was awarded to Dr. Lynneth Miller Renberg, for her book, Women, Dance and Parish Religion in England, 1300-1640. 

For the second time, Dr. Beth Allison Barr has received the Louisville Institute’s Sabbatical Grant for Researchers. 

“Reflections in History,” a roundtable featuring six panelists from Baylor University's Department of History, is a highlight of Women’s History Month events on campus.

The 45th Charles Edmondson Historical Lectures were presented in February 2024 by Dr. Leslie Alexander, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of History at Rutgers University. 

Have you ever wondered, "What do people do with a History degree?" Dr. Daniel J. Watkins, the History Department's Undergraduate Program Director, describes how a history degree impacts our undergraduate student's future careers. 

Dr. Ronald A. Johnson's research on Pierre Toussaint is featured in the New York Times. 

Take a peek behind the curtain and meet our outstanding social media team. 

Baylor University's Graduate Student Association (GSA) serves as a vital support system and advocate for graduate students campus-wide. Within this organization, James Howard is the Vice President of the GSA, bringing with him a strong commitment to advocacy and leadership.

Dr. Elesha Coffman's latest book, Turning Points in American Church History, is a captivating narrative that analyzes thirteen events in Church history as lenses through which to see the relationship between American Christianity and broader historical narratives.

Dr. Jenkins is featured on getreligion.org for his research and subsequent book. 

Isaac Tuttle, Ph.D. student in History, won the 2023 Torbet Prize from the American Baptist Historical Society.

Senior History major Jonathan Niece spent his fall semester in Washington, D.C., with the Baylor in Washington program, a unique engaged learning and professional development opportunity for Baylor undergraduates.

Digital Humanities methods are used for this fellowship to further expand the research of eighteenth-century studies. Dr. Daniel Watkins was one of the five scholars who used an ECCO lab to advance his research.

Meet the 2023-2024 Department of History Student Ambassador, Fiorella Contreras. This Senior History major has a passion for learning and serving her community.

Dr. Jenkins discusses his latest book, A Storm of Images: Iconoclasm and Religious Reformation in the Byzantine World, recently published by Baylor University Press on podcast Currents in Religion.

We share this article about Dr. Rufus Spain, written and published for Veterans Day 2023. In it he recounts his military service, religious upbringing, and thoughts on war.

The Michael Ramsey Prize Longlist featured Beth Allison Barr, Ph.D., for her book “The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth”. 

From first-gen, veteran student to McNair Scholar and PhD student, Ryan Reynolds' educational journey is a testament to his determination and commitment to academic excellence. 

A 2018 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that three essential attributes companies look for in a potential employee are three primary things that history majors learns here at Baylor University.

This year, the Mayborn is focused on celebrating Native storytelling; Central Texans can experience live performances and meet Native storytellers during November. Plus, the Mayborn Museum will host President Terri Parton and the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes for a community conversation on building long-term relations with Waco and Baylor University. 

In a History class this semester, students learned that research can be fun and engaging. With Dr. Julie Sweet leading the way, Baylor students learned all about the Boston Tea Party, then took the campus by storm, marching to the Waco Creek Bridge with a crowd of more than 100 ready for an adventure to watch as students in coattails and stockings reenacted their research, right here on campus. 

Fun classes like Campus Literature and Film Criticism will be offered next spring.

History major Charles Taylor (class of 2025) has been accepted into the inaugural cohort of the Baylor University Challenge-Based Interdisciplinary Scholar (CBI) program.

Dr. David Smith, Senior Lecturer in History, is no stranger to accolades, but his most recent honor as Outstanding Faculty for Teaching caps off an extraordinary year of accomplishments and activity.

The Brazos River may be a far cry from Boston Harbor in both distance and temperature, but that didn’t stop a group of Baylor University history students from recreating the Boston Tea Party in painstakingly accurate fashion Thursday, October 19th.

Dr. Philip Jenkins joins Professor Vrasidas Karalis and Associate Professor Frances Di Lauro, both with the University of Sydney,  for the second part of a discussion with Meredith Lake about iconoclasm on a religion program for Australia's ABC.

Discover more about Baylor's first Jackson Family Chair and what his plans for the spring semester.

The department is proud to announce the 2023-2024 scholarship recipients. 

Alex Ramsland, undergraduate history major, Phi Alpha Theta member, and department travel award recipient, describes her summer in Europe as a researcher and conference presenter. 

Baylor History PhD graduates announced as the Graduate School's 2023-2024 Postdoctoral Teach Fellows. 

Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson, Associate Professor & The Ralph and Bessie Mae Lynn Chair of History, was announced to be one of 22 new speakers added to the Organization of American Historians Distinguished Lectureship Program. The 2023 cohort of new lecturers joins a renowned roster of U.S. historians who share their expertise and research with a variety of audiences across the country.

A key step in getting the Baylor in Latin America strategic initiative up and running is to assess what the University already is doing in the region and then filling the gaps. That includes bringing more faculty to Baylor with strong track records for teaching and research in the region, such as Dr. Marilia Corrêa and Dr. Ricardo Álvarez-Pimentel, assistant professors in history.

Did you know that a Waco hotspot appeared in Food & Wine’s list of the best coffee shops in America?  History alum Dylan Washington paired up with fellow Baylor Bear, John David Beard, to roast coffee beans, and the rest is history. 

Texas A&M history professor joins Baylor history faculty Aug. 1, providing additional leadership for Baylor in Latin America initiatives.

As the 2022-2023 Outstanding Senior History Major, Amanda Bernardi sets her sights on studying optometry in Boston.

Historians Stephen Sloan, Ph.D., and Adrienne Cain with Baylor's renowned Institute for Oral History share seven best practices to help family members begin oral history conversations that enrich the recollections of the past.

Baylor History Alumni, Carlton Barnett, discusses how his time at Baylor as a history major has ignited his studies as a historian; his many achievements and pursuit of his PhD included.  

History doctoral candidate & Fulbright Scholar, Patrick Leech, describes his research project that is taking him to Hungary.  

Baylor History lecturer, David Smith, is one of 12 to be honored as an Outstanding Faculty award for 2022-2023.

Josh Borderud, a distinguished alumnus of Baylor University, has accomplished much since completing his B.A. and M.A. in History here at Baylor.

Last year, Baylor set a school record when 13 Bears earned prestigious Fulbright scholarships — almost twice the previous BU record! — as part of the nation’s flagship program for international graduate student and education. And yet — 2023’s student honors may be even more impressive.