Announcing the 2026 Alumni Award Winners

In its second year of distributing Alumni Awards, the Department of History has had the honor of awarding three individuals whose contributions to their professions and their communities exemplify the dedication, scholarship, creativity, and generosity that are the hallmarks of our History Majors and our department.

Ella Wall Prichard (BA, ’63), a long-time friend of the Department and, with her late husband Lev Prichard, a supporter of Baylor and numerous charities, has been awarded the Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement. 

In 1998, the Prichards formed the Prichard Family Foundation, which promotes the community, religious and educational values reflected through generations of the Prichard family. More recently, Mrs. Prichard created the Ella Wall Prichard Fund for Early Black Baptist History to support the study of the origins and evolution of Black Baptist history in North America to 1866 and for which Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson serves as steward. 

Prichard has always valued the study of history but began her undergraduate career at Baylor as an English Major and Journalism Minor.  It was in a class of Dr. Rufus Spain’s, who Prichard says had a knack for making American history come alive, that Prichard decided to change her major to History. She went on to learn from several professors in the History Department including Dr. Ralph Lynn, Dr. Bruce Thompson, and Mr. Robert Reid, and she continues to value the importance of understanding our life and times within a broader historical context. “I think many of the divisions in our country today are due to citizens not knowing our history,” says Prichard. “Whether by ignorance or deceit, the number of false claims about our history is alarming. The old saying, ‘those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it,’ is proving true.”

“I am deeply honored to receive the Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award,” says Prichard.

Dr. James Leavell (BA, ’63, MA, ‘66), Professor Emeritus of Asian History at Furman University, is this year’s second recipient of the Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement.

Leavell studied history at Baylor under the tutelage of Dr. Ralph Lynn, Dr. Rufus Spain, and Mr. Robert Reid, all of whom Leavell credits with playing a key role in preparing him to become a historian. Dr. Lynn taught Leavell how to think about history, Dr. Spain taught him how to write about historical problems, and Mr. Reid modeled for him how to capture young minds in the classroom setting. “Historians are story tellers,” says Leavell, “but their stories differ from legends or myths because they are based on researched facts.”

 “This award suggests that the current department members look upon my career as validation of the quality of training that has long been building Baylor’s tradition of providing quality education in the field of history,” says Leavell. “I was inspired by the historians who taught me and the rigor of Baylor's MA program was never surpassed by any of my subsequent doctoral or post-doctoral experiences.”

As he reflects on his professional achievements, Leavell is grateful for the education he received at Baylor and this recognition from respected historians. “This award is significant for me because it comes at a time in my life when I happen to be assessing my long career,” says Leavell. “That historians currently serving at Baylor, the institution that gave me my earliest training in historical analysis, writing, and professional behavior, have considered my work to be of a quality they deem appropriate in the Baylor tradition is especially gratifying.”

Dr. Matthew Polk (BA, ’01, MA ’02; MBA ’15),Chief Operating Officer at Waco Family Medicine, is this year’s winner of the Alumni Award for Early Outstanding Achievement.

Polk has been serving the Waco community in a variety of capacities for eighteen years and is currently at the helm of Waco Family Medicine, a community health center serving 77,000 patients with primary care medical, dental, and behavioral health services across 13 clinic sites between Temple and Hillsboro, Texas.

Polk was a History and Classics graduate before completing an MA in History in 2002, during which time he was a Guittard Scholar and completed his master's thesis on the late Antique Gothic writer Jordanes, under the supervision of Dr. Jeffrey Hamilton. He completed a PhD in History at Harvard University, and while his career drew him to leadership roles at Rapoport Academy, Prosper Waco, and finally, Waco Family Medicine, all of his pursuits have been underpinned by an appreciation for the study of history.

“Studying history has motivated me to become as broadly educated as possible and to always carefully consider the historical context of the current moment,” says Polk. “I find it valuable to understand the background of any particular situation or problem as a way of informing my thinking about the solution. I also value the habit of citing my sources and keeping my thinking and argument grounded in fact. In other words, history as an academic discipline helped me develop a range of intellectual habits that are valuable in any professional field.”

“I appreciate the History Department making an effort to stay connected with former students and to track their professional outcomes and success,” says Polk. “It is gracious of an academic department to recognize former students who have pursued a range of professional paths, and it's important to recognize that the study of fields like History and other humanities can prepare students to contribute meaningfully in whatever profession they choose.”

Congratulations to Mrs. Prichard, Dr. Leavell, and Dr. Polk on your many achievements! 

Know a Baylor History alumnus or alumna who is making a mark on the world? Nominate them through this link! Are you a BU History graduate forging creative new paths in your professional or personal community? Nominate yourself! We welcome all your recommendations for our next round of Alumni Awards.